All for Love
by Severeign
Summary: This is now the Prologue for Awaken! This story focuses on Orihime's acceptance of life in Hueco Mundo. Rated M for graphic violence, and graphic intimacy in later chapters, has some D/s overtones.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, I never have, and I never will. It has been, and continues to be intellectual property of Tite Kubo. First time attempting Fanfiction, so bear with me. Comments appreciated.

Chapter 1 – Battered, Bruised, but Never Broken

Orihime waited in her chamber, looking out through her lone, barred window. It seemed that was where she spent most of her time. She couldn't dare bring herself to wander, despite the fact it had been made clear to her that she was not a prisoner. It took every ounce of will she had just to choke down the food that was brought to her a few times daily, and then she did it not through any biological imperative, but simply because _he_ had told her to. The more she sat in silence, in isolation, the more his words weighed on her.

_"You humans are always talking about hearts. It's as if you have them in your hand. But my eye sees everything. Nothing can escape it. What it doesn't see doesn't exist. That's how I've always fought. That's how I've always lived. What is a heart? If I rip open your chest, will I find it there? If I crack open your skull, will I find it there?"_

Her heart was what had led her here… Her heart had told her there was no choice when Ulquiorra had first come to her, proposing to leave her friends alone in exchange for her coming to Las Noches. It may have been the only way she could protect them anymore. She wasn't as tough as Sado. She wasn't as quick, or tactical as Uryū. And she certainly wasn't anywhere near as strong as any of the Shinigami. This had been the only way, the best way for her to help her friends.

Even those thoughts sounded empty to her, the excuses someone would make up to hide from the real truth. She barely noticed the tears brimming in her eyes, or the soft sobs that slipped from her. So engrossed was she in her own private world she didn't even realize Nnoitra, had slipped into her chamber. But the heavy crash of his extravagant Zanpakuto against the floor roused her. She turned in shock, but the lithe brute was already upon her.

"Hello pet!" He growled at her intensely, his hand clutched around her throat, choking off her shocked cry, the other hand beginning to rip and tear and the white dress she wore. For the briefest moment she thought it was over, she thought one of the Espada had finally decided to take her life, but that moment was fleeting. It quickly became clear to her who was behind this assault, and as soon as it did she realized: _This was going to be far worse._

Nnoitra laughed cruelly as his strength easily tore open her dress, revealing a tantalizing show of her chest in only a bra. The lecherous gaze in his cruel eye sends a chilling sensation all the way through her body.

"My, my, they ARE quite large aren't they! I think you may be even more well-endowed than that bitch Harribel!" His laughter echoed again, even as her voice was choked and incoherent. He leans down, with his long tongue probing at her ear he speaks again.

"To think that Aizen would raise a female to Tres Espada is insulting enough, but to bring you in here… a lowly human female, and act as if you're on par with us?" He hissed the words, full of venom into her ear. His tone, more than the words making her tremble in terror as she realized his hate for her was something beyond simply humans and hollows. Even as her mind whirled, his hand had already dropped lower and was beginning to reach for the hem of her dress when Orihime's eyes caught the barest of movement behind Nnoitra.

Those cold green eyes of the newcomer regarded her with what could only be described as contempt. Whenever he spoke, the words were gentle and soft, sharply contrasting the underlying disdain that seemed ever present. Despite that, despite the frigid empty glare that now washed over her, and her attacker, she felt a grim joy. He had been ordered to protect her, and of all of the Espada she had seen, he seemed by far the most competent.

"What have you gone and gotten yourself into?" Ulquiorra spoke, though at the time it wasn't clear if he was speaking to Nnoitra or Orihime. And for a second, she was given the satisfaction of watching Nnoitra's eye go wide. What happened next seemed to make time stand still. Nnoitra turns, eyes wide to regard Ulquiorra, only to find the Cuatro Espada's index finger already leveled at his head. A swirl of green, the same shade as his eyes coalescing into small sphere of energy, before with the signature sound of a Cero, it bursts in a bright beam. Nnoitra has no time to dodge, and barely time for the shock to register on his features before the blast catches him full in the face at point blank range. It's angle of attack so that it completely misses Orihime, singeing her lightly even as it devastates Nnoitra. The cero launches the Quinto Espada, blowing a hole in the wall of her chambers and sending him tumbling into the perpetual night of Hueco Mundo.

Ulquiorra looks down at her with a frigid gaze that crushes her very soul. His reiatsu, though only partially released, feels like a giant weight on her and for several moments she can't even move under the strength of that glare.

"Get up woman." That emotionless voice cuts through her and a shiver races along her body, but still she can't move. His eyes narrow only the slightest but she recoils from it, fully aware of just how dangerous he could be if she wasn't obedient. He turns, casually grasping Santa Teresa by its long handle, the chain that had been connecting it to Nnoitra severed by the Cero. The cumbersome blade hefted effortlessly before he throws it out the same hole its master had been blasted through only moments before. Once again standing over Orihime he doesn't bother commanding her again, rather grasping her wrist tightly enough to bruise her flesh. He yanks her wordlessly to her feet and with a seemingly annoyed expression he drags her out of the room.

Orihime weeps openly, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks as she's led by that painful hold on her wrist.

"Please!" she implores him quickly, stumbling after him as it feels like he's breaking the bones in her slender wrist. When it falls on deaf ears, again she pleads.

"U-Ulquiorra please, y-you're breaking my wrist!" she can't pull away, and she doesn't even try. Her vision is so blurred by her tears, that she can't even see where they are going anymore. Then suddenly he stops, and uses his hold to propel her, stumbling into a new room as he stands at the door.

"You're pathetic, that I have to save you from that wretched filth. Keeping you out of danger may be half the reason that piece of trash Kurosaki has gotten as powerful as he has." Ulquiorra mused softly. There was no humor in his voice. No amusement. Only scorn coming to her from his lips.

"You deserve at least that pain for inconveniencing me like this. Feel lucky that Lord Aizen left you with one as forgiving as me." His words should have sounded arrogant, perhaps even condescending. But they didn't, as usual… they lacked all but the lightest of inflections, his voice always carrying the sound of a man that had completely given in to despair, and yet despite that Orihime knew that this man, this Espada, was one of the most powerful beings she had ever encountered. She stood, desperately trying to control her tears, and as he turned without another word, something happened in Orihime. Perhaps it was her nerves at, what would have undoubtedly been a brutal rape. Maybe it was the sudden realization that in all of Hueco Mundo, he was the closest thing she had to a friend. Frightening as it was, this emotionless monster was the most compassionate person to her now, even if it was only out of duty.

"Ulquiorra!" The name rolled off her tongue and she had to struggle to regain some of her composure. Her nature was emotional one; she was kind, forgiving, thoughtful, and selfless. In almost every way he was her polar opposite, but she realized that she would have to convince him, she would have to make him understand.

Kurosaki had always protected her, even when she would have preferred that he stop fighting. Stop putting himself in danger to protect her. But she would likely never see him, any of them again. Now, she finds herself here amongst the Espada, beings capable of confronting Shinigami captain on equal footing, and she had only her Shun-Shun Rikka on her side. Only Tsubaki was capable of attack, and her Santen Kesshun would only keep an Espada at bay for a moment at best… If she was to live, she needed an ally here.

Ulquiorra slowed when he heard her call his name. What was it with this woman? Her powers were something of a novelty, but surely she couldn't be worth all the trouble Aizen had gone through to get her. But it was arrogance to presume he could understand something that Aizen could not and with the barest sigh he glanced back slightly, not even looking at her as he spoke.

"What is it woman, haven't you have wasted enough of my time today?"

She hesitated before she took a nervous step towards him, her hand extending as if she could hold him there by her will alone.

"Y-You asked me what the heart was, I will show you!" her mind was racing, perhaps she could reach him, if she could show him something that he'd been unable to understand.

Ulquiorra turned, and for the first time since she had met him, the corners of his lips curled into the slightest of smiles.

"Are you saying you're going to let me crack you open, and search it out with my eyes?" His amusement piqued suddenly, for the first time in a long time he actually felt something beyond the cool gray that permeated his existence. She was reaching for him, a curious motion to be reaching for despair incarnate, but still she did it. Even more curious was the fact that she extended the hand that he'd already bruised, as if offering it to him again.

His flawless sonido left him holding that wrist, before she had even realized he'd moved. Both of his hands were out of his pockets, his other one hovering over her partially exposed chest, something she seemed to have forgotten about. But even as his sadistic smile shone down on her and the cold un-feeling glare bored through her soul he found his gaze sliding down her form. Her curves had always been visible in that black framed; form-fitting white dress. But with the chest of her dress ripped open he could see more of her than before. And her soft supple skin suddenly seemed so tantalizing.

None of this showed on his face but in that moment Orihime became aware of something. His eyes flickered and swept in the briefest motion down across her body. It sent a terrible shiver up her and she sucked in her breath, struggling for the words she knew she had to say.

"No, you can't see it with your eyes, I will show you how to see it with your heart, I'll teach you to see without your eyes!" she spoke quickly, that bruising grip once again on her wrist and for a sickening moment she almost felt comforted by it.

"Ridiculous, do not spout such nonsense woman. I have no heart." He smirked, still amused by all of this, his grip on her reminding him just how soft that skin was. But she was not soft as it would seem, even that grip on her which he knew caused her great pain didn't cause her to cry out.

"B-but you did! You were all humans once, even if you don't remember what it was, even if you don't even understand it anymore it's still somewhere in you!" she felt herself becoming braver. She knew then, he really didn't remember. He really had forgotten completely. Though, when he was looking at her he saw something that he couldn't explain. And she knew what he saw, was her heart.

"Nonsense, I am a hollow, even if I was once human, I have spent centuries feasting on the souls of humans and hollows alike. Anything that was human perished long before I rose from the Menos Forest." He scoffed at her and turned his eyes away. To her it appeared a sort of dramatic dismissal, but in truth he couldn't look at her anymore. It wasn't from disgust at her almost childish insistence, and it wasn't actually to dismiss her.

No… he had to look away then because he could actually _feel_ her looking into him.

Something in this woman called to him, despite her weakness, and her naiveté, he found something about her fascinating. How was it that she could so freely embrace this heart, and love when it clearly caused only suffering?

"No, you're wrong." she spoke simply; like it was the only thing that needed to be said.

His eyes narrowed and his gaze shot back to her. Such impudence that she could make such a claim, and with such certainty! He regarded her for several long moments, wondering how she could be so sure. He expected her to crumble, to wilt beneath his stare but she remained resolute. Her brown eyes staring with unwavering intensity into his, like she actually knew the words she said were true. His amusement all but gone in that moment, the slight smile disappeared with it. He closes his eyes a moment, before he releases his reiatsu in a wave of energy that practically scalds her. He watches in satisfaction as Orihime shrieks softly and moves her free arm up to shield her eyes from its intensity.

"You have a well-developed sense of reiatsu Orihime Inoue, and you have been exposed to all manner of it. Tell me, do I _feel_ human to you?"

She squinted against the maelstrom that was his bared soul. It was dark, evil, deep black tinged with a vibrant green. It was a wicked writhing thing that sought to suffocate and devour her and she couldn't help but realize… _It was very similar to Ichigo's_. She could feel her own reiatsu cloaked by it, nearly smothered under its weight. And when he releases her wrist she crumbles to her knees, panting under the strain of it.

"You are just a child Orihime Inoue, you know nothing of the world that truly is. This love you speak of, this heart… It's nonsense. You cannot show me something that does not exist in reality." He slowly reigns in his aura, clamping down on it until Orihime is able to draw a long shuddering breath. He turns then, walking calmly from the chamber; he's just about to leave when he hears her behind him. Her voice is strained, sounding forced.

"It's not nonsense! And I will show you!" It's barely a breath, but he can hear her clearly. And it carries with it such finality that even Cuatro Espada Ulquiorra Cifer is forced to pause. The door slides shut between them and he's left looking for several long moments back at it, before he turns and makes his way down the lifeless halls of Las Noches.

||/\/\/W\/\/\||


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, some other dude, Tite Kubo does. First time attempting Fanfiction, so bear with me. I typed most of the first two chapters up at the same time, and just finished making a few, editorial changes. Please leave me a review if you enjoy (or hate).

Chapter 2 – The Fortress of Solitude

How long had she been running through the cacophony of thoughts inside her mind? It seemed like an eternity, but it couldn't have been more than a few hours. Looking out the window, as she had found herself doing so often since she came here, gave her no comfort.

She had been able to sense the spiritual pressure of Nnoitra after Ulquiorra had left, though she didn't look forward to having to face him again, she thought to herself_: I'm thankful that no one has gotten hurt because of me_. But even those words, she used to believe with all of her heart, sounded hollow. Was it Hueco Mundo that made everything seem so empty?

She had been brought a fresh change of clothes shortly after the incident with Nnoitra by one of the Arrancar girls. It had been delivered it to her chambers along with simple toiletries, undoubtedly taken from the human world.

The spacious suite left nothing to be desired and she had hurriedly stripped and showered in the simple bathroom adjoining her chambers. The thought of Nnoitra's return, ensured she spent as little time in a compromising position as was possible. She had even been forced to strip away the last of her clothes from the human world: her undergarments replaced by a thin, camisole-like slip beneath her dress.

As she goes about her tasks thoughts run through her mind, she's in a dark place now and her only hope for salvation is a creature at least as dark as the place she's found herself. But somehow she can't get the images of him out of her mind… even that dark reiatsu had burned itself into her, it was like she could still feel it, writhing against her own. She knows there's something remarkable in him, but it's that despair… such a deep loneliness that makes her heart ache for him. _I'll show him, I'll make him see!_ She doesn't know it, but a smile breaks on her lips as she considers how incredible it would be to show something so twisted, what it meant to be human again.

She had told him she would teach him to feel it. But how could you teach someone so far removed from the concept? What he had said was true, he was a hollow, and he had spent centuries, maybe even millennia hunting souls, devouring them to fill that void in him. _How could a heart survive such a callous fight for survival_? The thought demanded an answer and she knew in her own that it couldn't have. His heart would have been destroyed long ago in that primal struggle. It would have to be resurrected in order for him to understand, and the only way that could happen, she reasoned: is if he was shown love, unconditional.

It's wasn't so much a decision for her as it became an imperative. And at the same time it struck her she sensed that reiatsu again unfurled like some mythical dragon. Ulquiorra had begun releasing an impressive amount of energy. A sudden urgency came over her, and for the first time since she had gotten to Las Noches, she left her room of her own volition, padding hurriedly down the hall.

She didn't know the layout of the Espada's fortress, but her keen sense of spiritual pressure led her true. She takes a few turns down stark and barren corridors trying to head towards the disturbance. All the while, she can feel white hot pulses of reiatsu from Ulquiorra, Nnoitra, and a third, weaker Arrancar. She hurries, running down a long flight of stairs until she bursts into a large, ornate hall full of imposing pillars. In the middle of this hall stood Nnoitra, Tesra, and Ulquiorra, squaring off on opposite ends of a large circular area. Tesra was already in his Resurrección form, a hulking warthog-like beast that more resembled a traditional hollow. But he was also gravely wounded, having fallen to one knee, bleeding profusely from his side. Even as he clutches his wounded side Tesra spits angrily at his Espada's opponent.

Nnoitra holds Santa Teresa steadily, the Quinto Espada looking slightly battered from his earlier run in with Ulquiorra, but certainly still very dangerous. The glare in his eye locked piercingly on Ulquiorra even as he speaks to Tesra.

"You fool, I told you not to interfere!" Nnoitra hisses angrily at his subordinate, sounding genuinely upset by Tesra's impulsiveness. It's something that takes Orihime off-guard and for a moment makes her question even that brute's motivations.

"I am sorry master!" Tesra grunts, laboring to speak. He's been badly wounded and Orihime can tell that if he doesn't get help he may not recover at all. She knows she should feel pity for him, but try as she might, she can't find anything in her heart for either of them.

Ulquiorra stands idly, watching both of them. His clothes are torn, and singed at the edges. A small trickle of blood runs down his sword arm where most of his jacket has been blown away. He holds Murciélago in his hand while the other one remains casually in his pocket. He's injured already and Orihime feels a sudden pang in her stomach, desperately wishing to ease his suffering.

"What do you hope to accomplish here Nnoitra? Do you not realize the futility in challenging my authority?" He spoke without hurry, voice calm and distant. But it was clear that his focus was on Nnoitra, an opponent dangerous enough to have warranted taking Murciélago from its sheath.

"Lord Aizen left me in charge of Las Noches in his absence. I am the highest ranked Espada in Hueco Mundo…" He states matter-of-factly, though now he can sense Orihime nearby and silently curses that impetuous woman for coming so close to the fight. If he's forced to engage Nnoitra while the other Espada is able to use Orihime for leverage, the girl might very well be killed in the process. He realizes then that he only has a moment to act before Nnoitra becomes aware of her presence, if he hasn't already.

He had been ready to talk Nnoitra down after the sneak attack had forced him to draw his weapon. It was utterly pointless to engage in such a frivolous fight, over a human female. And though he had been attempting to avoid having to kill a fellow Espada, that all vanished in a heartbeat. He knew that if the Quinto Espada got the chance, he wouldn't hesitate to use Orihime to gain the upper hand in the fight. The thoughts roll smoothly, and the decision comes almost without hesitation.

Ulquiorra bursts forward with his sonido, Nnoitra had been about to reply to his words, but the sudden attack forces him to block a precisely aimed swing with Santa Teresa. As he knocks Nnoitra back, Ulquiorra now stands between Tesra and Nnoitra, and the Quinto Espada realizes it too late: _he_ wasn't the target of Ulquiorra's attack. There is nothing Nnoitra can do to stop it as the bright green flash, turns to a pillar of pure reiatsu and consumes Tesra whole. With a hoarse cry the Arrancar is reduced to smoldering ash, a blackened scar on the floor all that remains.

"You Bastard!" Nnoitra screams bursting with rage, rearing back and swinging his weapon in a mighty arc. It impacts Murciélago, and sends Ulquiorra flying backwards, whose hand has already returned to his pocket. He levels his body horizontally to catch himself with his feet against one of the sizable pillars, the stone cracking in a spider web as Ulquiorra tenses, and rockets himself back towards Nnoitra. Their blades meet in a clash that splits the air, and sends shockwaves resounding outwards. The Cuatro and Quinto Espada hold their weapons trembling lightly against the combined strength of that impact as Nnoitra spits at him.

"You are going to pay for that Ulquiorra!" Nnoitra declares as his mouth opens and his tongue lolls out. Ulquiorra's eyes widen as the golden swirl of Nnoitra's Cero manifests itself on the tip of that extended tongue. Ulquiorra's sonido allows him to dash out of the way at just the last second as the cero demolishes a path through the room, leaving a smoking crater in a wall opposite the stairs Orihime had come down. As Ulquiorra comes to a stop from his high speed maneuver he is immediately attacked by Santa Teresa, parrying so that it glances off his blade and spinning to deliver a powerful kick to Nnoitra's midsection. The blow sends the Quinto Espada flying to impact another of the pillars in a cloud of dust and debris. The follow up is en-route even before Nnoitra is standing, barely managing to escape as Ulquiorra's Cero cleaves through the dust, cutting a hole through the cloud before blasting it away completely.

Ulquiorra leaps in with a deadly swing which Nnoitra catches, and with a burst of reiatsu he throws Ulquiorra off balance. Taking advantage of the moment, this time Nnoitra moves with a purpose. Having recently become aware of Orihime he leaps towards her with a deadly gleam in his eye. Santa Teresa cleaves through the air as the startled woman gasps and barely has enough time to summon her Shun-Shun Rikka, but that wicked blade shatters her Santen Kesshun almost without effort. And time seems to freeze in a single, horrifying moment before a blur of white intercepts the blow.

She stares, a softly uttered "No!" the only thing she can manage. Ulquiorra, having to sacrifice stance and strength, for speed has found himself under the blade. His hierro having lessened the damage from the Zanpakuto now carved into his shoulder. As blood flows freely from the wound he grunts, listening as Nnoitra growls with delight.

"Now, you're mine!" Again the Espada's tongue lolls out the number five clearly tattooed on it, the golden glow of his Cero forming at the tip. Nnoitra doesn't see it until the last second, until Ulquiorra turns slightly with his free hand extended, his own Cero already about to burst. And just a moment before both of those powerful beams erupt against their targets, His deep green eyes to turn Orihime and he growls to her softly.

"Shield yourself."

She responds to that order without thought.

"Santen Kesshun, I reject!" she barely manages to cry as her triangular barrier forms just a moment before the two Ceros impact. The gold and green swirling around each other in a rising pillar before they explode in a massive shockwave. The wind breaking around her as smoke and debris whirl past her shield, her dress and jacket whipping violently in the rush of air. She can see both of the Espada thrown in opposite directions from each other and anxiously calls after her defender when he lands.

The smoking room lay in ruins, the pillars near the center all but wiped away as an ominous creaking can be heard from the walls of Las Noches. Orihime pads quickly towards where Ulquiorra is slowly picking himself up. He falters once, using the tip of Murciélago to steady himself and stand tall once again. As she comes running over, fear in her eyes, there is also something else, for a moment it looks as if she is elated to seem him standing.

"Ulquiorra!" she cries out, coming to a dead stop as his hand rises to ward her off.

"Get out of here woman! Are you trying to get us both killed?" Despite his injuries, despite the seriousness of the conflict he's found himself in, he sounds as calm, and distant as ever, reprimanding her as one might scold an errant child.

Unbidden, a smile graces her lips, even with his coldness, and that aloof demeanor she couldn't have been happier to hear him speak. She's about to reply to him when it happens.

Her eyes widen, seeing Nnoitra break through the dust, suspended for a moment as his Santa Teresa heads directly for the back of Ulquiorra's head. That animalistic grin plastered on his face as he sees the moment of victory at hand. Orihime doesn't think, a heated determination rises in her as she puts up her hands, and speaks the words.

"Koten Zanshun, I reject!"

The attack power of Tsubaki having always been linked to her focus, and her resolve to inflict grievous bodily harm; had always prevented her from using him effectively. The little sprite often berated her for how soft she was against her enemies.

But today, something had changed in Inoue. Today, Tsubaki would be pleased, and probably a little mortified by the strength of Orihime's will. As she saw Ulquiorra about to be dealt a finishing blow years of repressed guilt and anger came springing to the surface. How many friends had she seen get cut down trying to protect her? How many times had she been unable to help them, simply because she was too weak, too weak to kill her enemies? _Not this time!_ She didn't know where it came from, but a sudden, cold determination guided Tsubaki to her target.

Both of the Espada, locked in a life or death struggle as they were well accustomed to were completely unprepared for what happened. The little winged imp split from her Shun-Shun Rikka and immediately streaked towards his target. Enveloped in a golden light, he resembles a flaming spear streaking with incredible speed at Nnoitra.

Already completely committed to his attack, he's unable to stop it as Tsubaki impacts him solidly in the chest, and a bright flash of light in the form of a triangle lances through Nnoitra. It splits Santa Teresa clean in two, and sends the Quinto Espada tumbling back.

Ulquiorra's stares back at Orihime, wide eyed and unmoving, trying to make sense of what had just happened. A look of shock is plastered on his face, and if it weren't for the grave nature of their engagement, Orihime might have laughed delightedly at the sight of it. She feels a wave of elation, a sudden and powerful sense of accomplishment as she turns the tide definitively in Ulquiorra's favor. And she realizes, that she can't ever remember feeling quite so _powerful_!

Ulquiorra forces his eyes to tear away from that enigmatic female as he hears Nnoitra stir. He moves with a burst of sonido to stand before the now kneeling Espada.

. "Damn you!" Nnoitra gurgles angrily. He spits up blood as he doubles over, the handle of his weapon still clutched in his hand.

"Damn you!" this time it's an angered howl and his hand desperately grasps his weapon. He's about to speak, the command right on his tongue: _Pray… Santa Teresa!_ But he can't even get the words out. Murciélago's tip rests at the curve of his throat, the edge so intimately nuzzled against his hierro that the slow gulp of apprehension causes Ulquiorra's sword to dig in painfully.

"Don't you dare go into Resurrección; I will slay you before you even have the chance. You have lost Nnoitra. Do not make me destroy you." His words are cold, unfeeling and his eyes reflect those same qualities as they stare Nnoitra down.

"You fool; you think we can just walk away from this? You think this is _over_?" Nnoitra spits at him again, loathing in his eyes as blood leaks from the corners of his mouth.

"This will never be over Ulquiorra, you and your new pet whore are dead! I will watch you suffer for this, I will see your body smoldering at my feet I-…." He doesn't finish.

Murciélago slashes sharply to one side, a sickening gurgle coming from Nnoitra. In the same smooth motion, Ulquiorra's body twists and his other hand swings around. His fingertip presses right at the hollow of Nnoitra's gushing throat. The Quinto Espada is frozen in place, unable to do anything as the cero erupts. It's concentrated force cutting a hole directly through Nnoitra. His eyes are wide, shocked and lifeless as he collapses to one side, smoke rolling from the hole in his chest. A second later his body and his weapon disintegrate into ash.

Ulquiorra turns his blade and sheaths it wearily, the damage he sustained in the fight more than enough to have weakened him considerably. He turns to see Orihime running at him and his eyes narrow. He's about to berate her, the condescension in his tone carefully prepared to cut her apart. He's prepared to watch her eyes well those tears he's become so fond of seeing. He prepared to see her deny the truth that: no matter what there is no hope. To try and defy a rule that he knew only too well.

But what he's not prepared for is the feel of her body wrapping around his. Her arms slinging around his shoulders as her face buries against his neck. Her breasts crushed against the smooth hard lines of his chest, a soft cushion between their bodies that only seems to encourage her to try and seal that gap. And again his eyes go wide, a soft grunt escaping his lips as for second time in as many minutes, a look of genuine shock took hold of his features, both at the hands of this infernal woman.

"I'm so happy you're okay!" her words sang true. For a while she had wondered if she even could show him the love that he needed to see. But something had opened up inside her. She knew in her heart that she could show him what he needed to see, and she had made up her mind, her resolve now sealed by their struggle together.

Ulquiorra, thoroughly unsettled by the embrace, could feel her, all of her. From the soft warm breath on his neck, to the gentle curves that now pressed intimately against his form. He was powerless for a moment, and it immediately reminded him of the moment earlier when he'd caught Nnoitra off guard while that despicable Espada was molesting Orihime. If he were to be caught at a moment like this, he would be just as vulnerable.

His hand deftly insinuating itself between their bodies he briskly shoves her back, watching her stumble several steps with a look of surprise on her face. He glares at her scornfully before he finally responds to her.

"What you did back there, I did not think you had it in you to kill."

He stuffed his hand back in his pocket, wincing before turning partially away from her. Orihime took a deep breath, for a moment she had felt something from him. It wasn't warmth, in the traditional sense of the word, but it wasn't nearly so cold. He had let her hold onto him for several moments, and she had heard his sharp intake of breath when her body was against his.

She extends both of her hands, palms facing towards him and the amber glow of her Sōten Kisshun envelopes Ulquiorra's battered body. As she begins to erase the damage done to him her eyes drop to the floor and it's some time before she speaks.

"I had to protect you. All this time here, you've just been trying to protect me." She states this with a soft, measured tone. As his eyes examine her he realizes something has changed in her. The pure gold of her healing aura flickers here and there with traces of violet.

"I am the one that brought you here, or have you forgotten that if it weren't for me, you would never have been forced to abandon you friends, your home?" His glare contains no animosity. It's a cold harsh stare that she can feel dissecting her and it sends a shiver along her spine. Even his words, their sharp edge and condescension aren't enough to change how she feels.

"Then I should thank you." She whispers softly, working diligently to undo the damage wrought on his form. She looks away for a few moments and then finally turns her gaze back up to his. She speaks with a calm clarity that seems to defy her situation.

"I was holding them back. I was a liability to them. But I won't be for you. I will do whatever it takes." It's almost musical. The soft promise seems to speak to him on levels he had never considered. He looks down, before looking back up at her. He sees then the bruises he'd left on her wrist, and for a moment was taken aback, forcing him to question her.

"Your wrist, you rush to heal an enemy holding you in bondage, but you do not even bother to heal yourself? Why?" He finds he can't move while he's enveloped in her healing shell. Or more accurately he could, but he doesn't want to guess at how much reiatsu he would have to expend to negate it.

"Why haven't you healed your wrist yet?" He demands again softly, idly wondering if he'll have to beat it out of her. The marking on her flesh looked tender and he had no doubt that it was still causing her to suffer. Why would she refrain from healing herself?

It wasn't like she didn't have time, she would have been able to repair such a minor wound within moments while she was alone in her room, but she didn't.

Finally she whispers to him, "You are not my enemy." Still she didn't answer, and the words alone wouldn't have been enough to shake him, but she looks full into his eyes, and speaks to him with that damned certainty she seems to be so fond of. It stills his tongue and for a while, all he can do is think.

After some time, the envelope of her restorative energy dissipates and he is left completely restored, even his jacket having been repaired by her technique. He admires her work again a moment before he turns to face her, realizing that she's again moving into him. This time, despite the slowness of her approach, he can't stop her. He wants to, part of him wants to give her the back of his hand for having the impudence to approach him twice in such a fashion, but he can't. Her arms slip between his arms, and his sides, cinching around his waist. Her head bowed down, seemingly so submissive even in what can only be describe as an aggressive embrace. Once again she tucks her face against his neck and slips her voluptuous form tightly against his.

"Thank you for saving me, Ulquiorra." She whispers to him softly, her breath washing across the smooth skin of his neck. His body suddenly intensely aware of her, even more so than the first time she'd embraced him so impulsively. This time he could feel the pulse of her being, her delicate, but frighteningly deep well of reiatsu. It was something that he had examined in detail, but had never actually looked at before now. It flows from her like a warm, bathing light, not unlike the sun from the human world. It's new and darker tinge only making it all the sweeter to him.

Orihime couldn't be sure what had made her do what she had done. It had all happened so fast. She had always felt close to her friends, she had always wanted to please and protect them, but it was merely a shadow compared to what she felt now. And here she was, openly wrapping herself around the Cuatro Espada. A being that's cruelty and merciless power could easily have been responsible for the deaths of any of those she cared for. But something about it just felt right, and she couldn't resist the urge. The words he speaks next sending inexplicable shivers through her.

"I am the Master of you here Orihime Inoue. I control whether you live, or die. Whether you suffer or exist in peace. It is shameful that I should have to exert myself to defend you." He moves his hand back between them again with the intent of pushing her away, but his hand gets sidetracked, slipping over her hip to rest at the small of her back. He's not sure exactly how it happens, but once it's there he can't imagine pulling it back. It's not until that image of Nnoitra compromised once again reminds him of exactly how vulnerable they are. He slowly forces himself to step away from her, with her taking a step back as well, head bowed as she holds her hands demurely in front.

"Please forgive me, Master Ulquiorra." She says it softly, her voice quiet and polite. As he looks over her he knows he should be angry, that she should be cowering before him, but the words on her lips defuse him and he can only blink slowly, savoring them. This change in her, confusing him to no end, that sullen, detached apathy now seemingly replaced by some sort of drive, a passion that animates her body and soul.

"Heal yourself Orihime; Lord Aizen's property must not be damaged when he returns." It's a simple order, and it leaves no room for discussion. She summons her Sōten Kisshun and immediately begins to heal her wrist. She keeps her eyes down as he watches her, the thought springing unbidden to her mind, _No, not Lord Aizen's... yours_. Even though he can't read her, he feels her conviction, her renewed sense of purpose. Is this what she's speaking of when she mentions her heart? He must know the answer, and she will be true to her word: she will teach him! But now he knows he cannot dissect her to find it, he will have to let her show him what it is that drives her… _And once she has shown me her heart, I will truly be able to break her._

/\/\/W\/\/\||


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I don't even own any of the characters. Not only am I not affiliated with Tite Kubo in any way, I suspect he would take grave offense to me warping the reality he so lovingly crafted.

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

Zommari Rureaux is not in this story, seriously… He's not.

Chapter 3 – The Nature of Hueco Mundo

When Aizen set out to begin his final stroke, he had left only three of the Espada behind. With Nnoitra dead it left only Zommari and Ulquiorra to keep watch over Las Noches. Wonderweiss and Hooleer remained on standby, to be summoned by Aizen when necessary. It had only been a few days, but reports from hollows scouting in the human world had suggested that Aizen's attempt to counter the Shinigami's plan to move Karakura town had not been successful, and the real battle had now begun. Ulquiorra listened to the reports impassively, and if one didn't know better he would have appeared completely disinterested. When the last of the hollows had come and gone he rose silently and began to walk, knowing without looking that she would be following close on his heels.

Orihime had remained with him since their battle, staying mostly silent as they had first patrolled, then come to this meeting hall to listen to reports from the hollows. She was surprised, and encouraged that he had not told her to go back to her chambers. Indeed since their earlier moment he had seemed to be tolerating her presence in an entirely different way. As she sees him rise she moves immediately after him, having been standing next to the chair he was resting in. She noticed despite his currently unchallenged level of power in Hueco Mundo, he didn't sit in the throne that Aizen had frequented.

It's a long time before he breaks the silence, not looking back as he speaks to her over his shoulder.

"Your technique, I saw you use that once before on Yammy, with pathetic results. How has it improved that much since then, that you could counter Nnoitra with it?" His words carried to her softly, and she looked up, hoping to catch those emerald green eyes of his.

"Tsubaki has always been linked to my will, a-and well…" she trailed off slowly, eyes falling as a flush rises to her cheeks.

"I-I've never wanted to really hurt _anybody_ so he was never able to attack with his full strength." She finished out, blushing and feeling ridiculous.

"I see." He said softly. Ulquiorra had shown surprising mercy when he had held his blade at the defeated Nnoitra's throat. But the moment he felt reasoning was pointless he had destroyed the Quinto Espada with a prejudice. She knew she could never be so cold, so calculating, and she knew he was going to tell her she was weak for it.

But the words never came. There was a moment of silence before he said something that made her come to a dead stop.

"If you were to train your killer instincts Orihime, you would be a very dangerous opponent." He's made a bit of distance on her now, and he slows somewhat, glancing back over his shoulder with a look of disdain.

"Do not fall behind woman." His voice is soft, but carries a distinct growl to it. It's a sound she can't remember having heard him make and she quickly pads over to him, flushing and bowing her head.

He continues to walk, with her on his tail and as she begins to recognize some of the halls she decides he must finally be bringing her back to her chambers. She can't help but wonder then, about the battle back in Karakura town. It would be a terrifying and horrible fight, and it brings a solitary tear to her eye to think she might lose some of her close friends if things go badly. But she knows now, in all reality she already gave them up when she came here. She had left of her own accord, letting them all think she had defected to the enemy, and now… she truly had. Even if they all lived it was likely she would never see any of them again.

"Will my friends, be alright?" she ventures the question suddenly, breaking the silence as they arrive at her suite. He doesn't turn to regard her, speaking to her over his shoulder.

"What does it matter woman, If you really cared for them you would never have left them in the first place. Did you honestly think that you had the power to stop what was going to happen to them?" His words carried to her ears in that desolate voice of his. He sounds completely unconcerned as they stop at the entry way to her chambers, turning to face her. She's left staring into the deep green pools, black vertical slits of his pupils narrowing at her as he speaks.

"You came here to protect them, and now they have abandoned you to save your precious home. You are of absolutely no use to them, a burden that now that I must bear." His coldness cut right through her, and her eyes snapped closed as tears began to brim from those cruel words.

"Do you wish to escape, to run to the arms of those you think love you?" He taunted her, the cool edge of his voice only making her jaw clench. Her eyes open, blinking away her tears as she looks up at him defiantly.

"No, I don't wish to escape; I told you that I would show you…" She trails off softly, not finishing it as he regards her with those expressionless eyes. Her brief tear-burst having come and gone. His hand lifts and moves slowly across her cheek, grazing feather-light on sensitive skin. The simple caress causes her eyes to half close and a deep flush to rise on her cheeks. She exhales softly wondering how such a simple touch, from such a cold being could make her feel so warm?

His fingers moving into the mass of her auburn hair before he seizes it tightly. She yelps in surprise, hands instinctively flying up to grasp at him, but she stops herself. Her hands drop back to her sides as his grip drags her closer, taunting her again in a soft voice.

"You really are hopeless aren't you Orihime. You will fail, and when you do I will break your mind, and spirit until…" She cuts him off right there, speaking vehemently to him.

"I will not fail! And I will never give up! I will show you what love is if it kills me!" The words come out as a vow and for a moment he's again off-balance by her conviction. His eyes again narrow on her as he continues to hold her by her hair.

"You say that, with all the certainty in the world, but you don't even know _how_, do you? Insufferable woman, you seek to fill a void that has existed for centuries before you." He glares into her eyes, and she glares right back to him. Her eyes declaring as surely as her words did: _I'm not going to give up!_

It slowly began to dawn on him, that this lowly human woman, barely an insect before him was beginning to genuinely amuse him. He didn't even realize the corners of his mouth had turned up to a tiny smile until he saw her eyes flicker to his lips. Her own gaze widening in surprise before, despite the hold on her hair her eyes sparkle with a milestone victory. Angrily he wrenches her hair, tilting her off balance and causing her to crash against him as he hisses at her. Though his voice is even softer than usual, it carries with it an underlying menace that she simply can't ignore, or at least… he'd thought she couldn't.

"You arrogant little wench, you think you have found a way in, do you honestly believe you've cracked through my shell and found your way into my hidden heart?" His words are mocking, clearly derisive. He expects her to recoil again, but instead her eyes shimmer, and her lips curl into a little smile. The rough pull on her hair, the closeness of his form, and that devilish reiatsu were having and rather curious effect on her body and in her compromised position she let go of inhibition and turned, canting her head. She lifts her ear to his words and curls her fingers into his jacket sliding her body against him again. She can feel the heat of him, and a growing familiarity to it that thrills her.

"I will show you. And there is nothing you can do to stop me." Her voice is sweet now, a tone he had never heard her take around him. And while it infuriates him that she can remain at ease, her voice seems to carry with it a calm that soothes his sizzling temper. All the same he drags her face from its place against him and looks into her eyes fiercely.

"I am Master of your life and death, Orihime. I can kill you, or have you forgotten that you are in the hands of an Espada?" He says it with enough finality to drive his point home. She is nothing before him, and he can squash her at will. But still, her brown eyes remain defiant, challenging him as she whispers softly.

"Then kill me, Master Ulquiorra, I gave my life to you when we first came through that Garganta." She speaks without hesitation.

_She can't seriously mean to let me take her life?_ His hand pulls her head back, as the other slips from his pocket. He wraps the long, agile fingers of his other hand around her throat, and begins to squeeze. To his amazement, her eyes drift slowly close, utterly accepting of her fate.

She can't explain the feelings coursing through her. Her life had always been spent, pleasing those close to her, trying to keep them happy, healthy, and safe. But she had never felt good enough for any of them. Many times they had leapt to her rescue, compromising their safety just to protect her. And she had never been able to reciprocate in kind, a knowledge that had always weighed heavily on her.

She had always hoped to be able to pour all of her kindness and warmth on a single individual. Though the person that was actually receiving it was much different than whom she'd originally pictured. But it didn't matter, if she could teach that individual something that had been lost to him for so long; well wouldn't that truly be worth something?

She had spoken truly, the night they had walked through that Garganta, she had accepted the fact she was leaving her world behind forever. She had understood that she would probably die making her decision, and if she didn't, she would spend the rest of her life as a slave to the Espada, to Aizen. But it wasn't Aizen, or the Espada that she was surrendering to. And now as Ulquiorra's hand closed about the slender column of her throat she felt something she couldn't ever remember feeling. She couldn't breathe, but it didn't seem to matter. She was floating in a space that was beyond any of it and in this place she knew she could finally find serenity. The irony of finding that in a being whose very existence was a facet of despair was not lost on her, and it even brought a smile to her lips.

He holds her for several long moments, her breathless, serene form bent to his grip. She doesn't even attempt to resist, and when her lips turn up in a smile his preconceptions begin to break down. He knew, even if he were to strangle every ounce of life from her, he could not take away the peace of mind that had suddenly washed over her. His hand relaxed slowly, his eyes distant again, uncertainty running through is mind.

"Then you have truly accepted the fact that you will be a slave to Lord Aizen, for the rest of your life." He speaks with a slow nod, as if he's trying to grasp a concept for the first time.

She shakes her head, breathing normally again as her eyes drift open. She speaks in a voice that's soft and detached, not unlike his carefully controlled speech.

"No Master Ulquiorra, not Aizen." Her eyes are turned down and her hands slowly begin to smooth out the wrinkles they've wrought in his jacket.

"Orihime Inoue, you speak dangerous words. Lord Aizen is beyond any creature, be they human, hollow or shinigami. You are his property, not mine and when he returns here he…" she interrupts him again softly, the simple truth of her words cutting through him.

"Aizen is never coming back here." She nods once solemnly. Again, that conviction, that certainty that comes from her lips, as if she knows it for a fact. But he knows it too, even as he begins to deny it.

"Lord Aizen will be victorious, and when he is he will launch an attack on the Soul King, taking control of the worlds as we know them." He speaks, but even for his featureless tone, there is no conviction. Because he already knows, she speaks the words as they are forming in his own mind.

"It doesn't matter, if he wins or loses. If he wins, and defeats the Soul King, he will have gained his objective, and you, having been just another piece on the board, will be left here forever, to watch over Las Noches. And if he dies, and the others die with him then again you are left here, the most powerful being in Hueco Mundo. Even if the other Espada don't die, they would be in no position to challenge you when they retreated here." She speaks slowly, deliberately, and even though he wants to deny her, craves to refute her, he knows it's true.

"That would make you the new ruler of Hueco Mundo, and everything in it would be slave to you. Isn't that how it works here, Master Ulquiorra?" she says it with an ease that begins to disturb her a little. But even that can't break the feelings welling up inside her. Despite his claims, against his subtly venomous nature, she had truly begun to break through to him. He had no Fracción, and he never associated with any of the Espada longer than it took to do what was necessary. He had been alone for longer than she could fathom and now he was faced with someone that would freely, willfully give herself to him. And after countless decades of isolation, of preying on those weaker than him without regard to anything but his insatiable hunger, the armor he'd built up over those years was finally starting to crack.

It was the look in her eyes that pushed him past the event horizon. That serene look of content covered her features. A blissful sense of purpose seems to light her from the very core. She was determined to teach him with her heart, and she was beginning to make a solemn battle of it. He could feel her, the pleasured calm in her eyes drifting across him as he watched her.

He steels himself against the feeling, grasping her just above her elbow, and casually shoves her past the threshold into her suite. He looks at her with that cold, brooding gaze and again he growls softly at her.

"You now live in Hueco Mundo Orihime Inoue. It's not merciful, nor is it forgiving. You will never survive if you don't learn to kill in order to get what you want, be that to defend your life, or to command the respect of those beneath you." pausing a moment before he speaks again.

"Sleep, Orihime." The command coming just as the door slides closed between them. She can't help herself, she's smiling. He had intended to hurt her, he had meant to try and break another piece of her but instead he had been the one to find he was cracking under the strain. But even that wasn't the real reason she was smiling, the real reason; was because right as the door had closed, she had seen the smallest smile again grace his lips, and she didn't even think he'd been aware of it!

Her smile doesn't last long as uneasiness begins to wash over her. His reiatsu swiftly moves away from her as she starts to think of his parting words. They were hauntingly ominous. She knew even now she wasn't safe, here in the world of Hollows, no one was ever _safe._

Ulquiorra left her there and began to move, using his sonido he was gone in a flash, taking him only moments to exit the fortress, and make his way out on to the dome. That woman was beginning to take her toll on him, and he needed to distance himself from her some. It seemed no matter what he said to her, she was determined, trudging on no matter how hopeless it was. But a part of him knew that it wasn't hopeless. She had been fighting back, and oddly enough the way she'd chosen to fight back, was with surrender.

In the world of hollows, it was kill or be killed, lead or follow. The only exceptions were those exceedingly powerful hollows that had made it to the top of the food chain. And while being exceptions to the rule, they also epitomized it, able to bully, kill, or subjugate any hollow they wished. She was appealing to him in a way that he couldn't help but understand.

But as surely as he needed time to gather his thoughts, he also needed time to cool off. She had kept his mind moving, and the repeated close contact with her left him with an aching he couldn't seem to get rid of. It didn't help that she had been slipping her body against him every chance she got. But it was time to teach her a lesson. He knew a certain pair of Arrancar girls had just been waiting for a chance to catch Orihime alone and now was a perfect time to show her what it meant to live in Hueco Mundo.

_She'll never be able to kill to save her own life. _ He smirks at the thought, knowing that she's too kind to ever callously take a life. But that moment with Nnoitra gives him pause, she had very nearly killed her target then. The question remained, would she be able to do it again?

As it turns out, he wouldn't have to wait long.

Orihime is sitting, daydreaming in her suite. A once frequent pastime that she had all but neglected since she'd arrived here. But now she was already lost in a million wonderings. Her sullen introspection dissolved in light of recent events. He hadn't been gone long, but she couldn't find anything else to think about. Even the ensuing war in the human world seemed… distant, insignificant. She knew it was not like her to be so unconcerned, especially when her friends could be fighting, and dying at that very moment. Perhaps it really was this place that was causing this change in her, or perhaps it was _him._

"I'll bet she's dreaming about Lord Aizen." The voice coming from behind her shakes her back to reality, and she has a sudden jolt of fear run up her spine.

"She probably is, he certainly did seem to show her some favor, back when we all first met." The second voice coming as Orihime whirls around, looking wide eyed to the two female Arrancar now in her suite.

"W-What are you doing here?" She asks quickly, moving to her feet as a sudden anxiousness washes over her. The last time she had seen these two was when she'd been called to meet with Aizen. And she could already feel their animosity, a lingering distaste for Orihime that practically oozed from them. It was something in her previous state that she might not have noticed, but now she immediately recognized that they weren't here for a social visit.

"What are we doing here? We just want to check on Lord Aizen's favorite new pet." Menoly says with a smirk, the words dripping with derision. Loly and Menoly both carry wicked, cruel looks on their faces as they begin to flank Orihime, coming around either side of the couch she'd been resting on.

"You are alright aren't you princess?" Loly coos, a sinister smirk on her lips as she and Menoly draw closer.

"You two have been waiting for this, haven't you?" Inoue states softly, her fear starting to give way to something else, one hand lifting towards her temple. The words bring a look of surprise, then anger to Loly's face. Their body language says everything about the pair's intentions, and as they begin to close in on Orihime. As Loly reaches for her, Orihime tries to evade but finds herself outflanked by the two females, Menoly grabbing a hold of her arms as Loly lays a hard slap across Orihime's cheek.

She winces, biting her tongue and fighting back the natural brim of tears from the painful smack, Loly speaking again. "You think you're so damned special, you think Lord Aizen really gives a _shit_ about you?" that hand continues on its original motion, slowing to a stop and doubling back as Loly hits Orihime with the back of her hand on the return stroke. The girl cries out this time and reels in Menoly's grip. As her head spins she regains her focus, unable to stop the tears that trickle from the corners of her eyes. Her mind whirls as she tries to think of a way out of this, a way to save herself from these psychotic females.

"You don't mean a thing to Lord Aizen, the Espada, or any of the Arrancar, you're beneath us all you stupid bitch!" Loly hisses at her, raking her nails sadistically down Orihime's face. The resulting cry makes Loly cackle in delight.

"Oops, I almost got your pretty little eye!" Loly chirped at her, there's a dark look of pleasure on her face as she sees the four long gashes on that arrogant woman's cheek. Menoly just watches, and laughs lightly as if it's all very amusing, holding the struggling Orihime with some effort. For a moment, she twists just right, and Menoly loses hold. Orihime falls to her knees, and immediately begins to bolt for the door, looking for an escape. But her run is cut short as a small, heated blast of reiatsu shrieks past her, and obliterates the door. A large cloud of dust and ash send Orihime reeling, having to shield her face as the debris flies, the moment's hesitation enough for Menoly to grab her by the arms again, to hold her just above the elbows.

"Hey, I was just trying to use my Bala to get the door for ya! You shouldn't be so uptight, and now you're trying to leave without saying thank you?" Loly moves around in front of Orihime as she speaks, and delivers a savage punch to the woman's stomach. She doubles over, coughing up her air, and perhaps a little bit of blood from that brutal strike… slowly forcing herself to stand upright again. Loly is already starting to pull her arm back for the next punch.

"That's not right is it Menoly?" the Arrancar female asks her partner, staring hatefully at Orihime as she slams her fist into the woman's gut again.

Menoly, holding Orihime much more tightly this time just laughs and nods, she speaks once Orihime has righted herself from the second punch.

"No, that's not polite at all Loly. I think you should teach her some manners."

_You will never survive if you don't learn to kill in order to get what you want, be that to defend your life, or to command the respect of those beneath you. _His words ring out in her ears and where fear, and helplessness would have ordinarily consumed her, she now feels a desire to show him what she was capable of. He would tell her it was shameful, if he saw her like this. He had not been berating her, or challenging her when he'd said those words about Hueco Mundo, he had been warning her. He had known this would have to happen sooner or later.

It dawns on her as Loly is reeling back, ready to deliver a third savage punch to Orihime's stomach. It has to be perfect. There can be no room for error.

As Loly's fist closes in on Orihime, their gazes lock for a moment. The words Orihime speaks causing the female Arrancar's eyes to go wide.

"Santen Kesshun, I reject." As she whispers the words, and just as Loly's hand is about to impact, three streaks of light leap from Orihime's temple and that triangular shield materializes… _midway through Loly's arm._ The shock and Loly's blood curdling scream are the moment she needs. Orihime's foot lifts, cracking her heel against Menoly's knee before wrenching herself free of that grip. She turns immediately, one hand extended as she looks at Menoly, whose eyes reflect a combination of fury, confusion, and fear. Loly meanwhile clutches her arm, right where it terminates, just below her elbow. She grits her teeth tightly as the pants and glares in disbelief and an increasingly irrational fury, blood pouring from her severed limb.

"You stupid bitch… you… you…" Loly's rant fades out as time stands still. And instead she can hear a voice speaking in the back of her mind.

_What has come over you woman?_ It was Tsubaki. She can feel his anxiousness. No, that' wasn't it at all… it was eagerness.

_I need you to attack Tsubaki… I need you to end this battle before it's too late. _She knows that these two would show her no mercy. A concept that she doubted they had been shown much of either.

_That's not good enough woman. You need to have the conviction. I don't like that bastard you've been spending all your time with… but he's right. It really is kill or be killed here._ Her little imp sounded calmer than usual. Cool and collected it seemed he was thriving on the recent wave of Orihime's determination.

He's right. They were both right and she feels that need again well up in her.

_Then this is how it must be._

"Split her asunder, Tsubaki." She's speaking the words as she slips back into reality, just as Menoly leaps forward, her hand clutching an immature, unstable Cero. She fully intends to use it to destroy Orihime, having been spurred to real action by what happened to Loly. She hasn't quite mastered firing her Cero yet, and can't risk a misfire, but she can use it to devastating effect when clutched in her palm, and so she leaps at her target. But when she hears the words that loathsome human woman speaks, a moment of dread over takes her.

Tsubaki splits from her Shun-Shun Rikka in a dazzling burst of light. What had once been a spear, a small streaking fireball had become a long, sleek blade of violet tinged gold. It leapt at Menoly with terrifying speed, moving so fast it became a solid, narrow beam of light that lances through Menoly, the wall behind her, and erupts in a small explosion out in the hallway. The wounded Arrancar falling helplessly to the floor as the disrupted Cero goes off randomly, blowing a hole in the wall near where she lands.

"Menoly!" Loly shrieks, unable to fathom how this woman had managed to best both of them. Severely injured, Menoly barely stirs, trying to crawl away even as Loly pulls a small dagger from her clothing as she hisses the words.

"Poison, Escolopendra!" A swirl of energy whirling around the Arrancar female, clouding her in the intense atmospheric disturbance before a moment later it clears and she holds her stance. Her Resurrección replaces her rather skimpy uniform with a form fitting armor to protect her body. Her remaining arm transforms into a long, sinuous appendage that seemed to have its own little claw-like legs, the other arm taking a similar form, but severely stunted.

Orihime can only watch in genuine apprehension as the Arrancar female prepares to leap at her. She's about to summon her Santen Kesshun when a hand lands on Loly's shoulder.

"That's enough. Play time is over Loly." The cool, soft words of Ulquiorra cause Loly to tense all over, her eyes shocked wide as she slowly turns her head to look at the Espada now resting his hand on her shoulder. Loly hesitates, frantically considering her options before she slumps to her knees. Her armor begins cracking and falling away as she pants in a cold sweat, her Zanpakuto rematerializing on the floor in front of her.

"Now get out of here… and drag that other piece of trash with you." He says, turning away from Loly to regard Orihime.

"No, wait!" Orihime says quickly, and to his surprise she's already kneeling over Menoly. The shell of her Sōten Kisshun has already enveloped the severely wounded Arrancar.

Ulquiorra watches her a moment, no sign of emotion on his face, before he looks down at Loly.

"You may be trash… but you may yet have a use. You're of absolutely no value missing an arm however, so move to Orihime, you are next." He declares softly, the Arrancar girl looking at him, anger, fear, and pain masking her face.

"I'll never let that bitch touch me!" she hisses the words defiantly. Ulquiorra lifts his hand from his pocket. Unhurriedly he backhands Loly, sending her flying, skidding across the floor to rest near Orihime, who winces slightly.

"You'll go, whether you want to or not." He glances at the prone Loly, who appears to be unconscious now. He shakes his head slightly, his hand slowly slipping back into his pocket.

"You didn't have to hit her you know, I don't think she could have disobeyed you, even though she wanted to." Orihime keeps her eyes on her task at hand, Menoly's body slowly regressing to the state it was in before their fight.

"And you will live to regret showing mercy to these two." He growls at her softly, shooting her a look as he moves over to the window, turning and looking out on Hueco Mundo. Silence fills the air, and it's a comfortable thing for him. She had done much better than he'd thought she would do. He had been able to hold back for some time, and even then he suspected that Orihime would have triumphed against Loly, even in her Resurrección form. But he had been thinking about their earlier discussion. It was true, that Aizen would probably never return, and as much as he might not like it… he would need these lesser Arrancar, as they too would in time become Espada. She was right to heal them, even if it would complicate things later. Still, he knew he might have to put them down regardless of Orihime's misguided compassion. She just didn't understand hollows.

It doesn't take long for Orihime to reject the damage done to Menoly. She finds it easier to reverse the damage done by her own reiatsu than damage done by others. She effortlessly moves her Sōten Kisshun over to Loly. She finally turns her eyes up to Ulquiorra to speak as she begins to turn time backwards on the second Arrancar girl.

"Someone has to start showing mercy, if things are to change here, Master Ulquiorra." She adds the title again, finding it easier to say each time it crosses her lips. He regards her with that unreachable gaze, before shaking his head lightly and turning away.

"Sometimes you are exceedingly foolish, pet. In time you will learn that mercy is a weakness in the world of Hollows." He speaks absently, apparently not even realizing what he's called her. She on the other hand, swells when she hears him say it. From Nnoitra it had been something, incredibly demeaning. It had been forged in hate, and coated with malice. But when she heard it from Ulquiorra, even in his dry, emotionless voice it was something completely different. It was _possessive_.

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	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I do not own bleach, nor any of the materials associated with it (Except of course this fanfic, and even then I'm not really sure that I own this, with the way our governments are these days.) _

_I offer a sincere thank you to those of you that are keeping an eye on this progression of events and personalized thanks, as follows. _

_**Ulquihimeforever321**__ – as my first and undoubtedly simplest review, a special thanks for starting the trend. And yes Orihime kicked some ass, and I have a bit more to add to that still… I think some of you may be pleasantly surprised._

_**Lamiko**__ – I will be continuing now that I know there is some interest, though I am going to try and get a sort of, weekly update schedule._

_**Mystique 86**__ – I figured it was because no one was really interested enough to review, but now I suspect it just takes some time, once the dam breaks there may be more coming… And yes… damsel Orihime can be a pain._

_**NephandiMan**__ – Dazzling review, in depth and thoughtful, (he) is honored to be on the receiving end of it. Keep an eye out to see where things are headed as I have a bit more already thought out, I just have yet to put it to words. _

_***SPOILER ALERT***_

_The cake is a lie_

**Chapter 4 –Happiness in Slavery**

Orihime hadn't questioned what he'd said. Though the simple use of the word had made her heart start pounding in her chest, she knew that mentioning it might undermine the goal she was working toward so she remained silent until the shell enveloping Loly had disappeared. All the while her disembodied arm had been slowly simmering with an almost imperceptible golden glow, stripped out of reality one sliver at time, while reconstituting in the shell of Orihime's Sōten Kisshun, until there was no trace of it ever having been removed.

Slowly she rises to her feet and moves towards the window that Ulquiorra is still looking out. His reverie seems unusually deep, and even in her short time with him she can tell that he's very distracted. She runs through a million things that she could say, biting her lip lightly as she tries to consider the best one. The dull throbbing in her cheek, and stomach doesn't help her concentration, and almost absently she places her shell about herself, undoing the damage that Loly and Menoly had done to her.

It's not until she has completely healed herself that he finally turns around to face her. As the deep emerald of his eyes lock intently on her, her breathing starts coming a bit faster. Slowly he surveys the surroundings, then turns his gaze back on her. When he does finally speak to her in that now comforting monotone, she's all smiles.

"Orihime, if this keeps up, I will run out of suites to put you in." he remarks dryly, humorless expression regarding her. His gaze so intense sometimes that it weakens her knees and pulls a little whimpering sound from deep within her, and she's silently thankful that he doesn't seem to have noticed. She forces herself to break his gaze, looking around the room, the second suite to have been destroyed by events around her in single day.

"I-I, well… Master Ulquiorra, this is a large place, and I'm sure that we can still go through a few more before there aren't any left!" There's excitement in her voice, a happiness that is so incredibly contagious he has to actively struggle not to smile, a problem that he can't ever recall having had before. After only a few days in her presence she's begun to corrupt him in a way he'd never thought possible. It's a despicable change, carrying with it a weakness that's always been inherent to her being. But he doesn't mind that nearly so much anymore, and in fact, he's beginning to suspect that it may not actually be a weakness. It's that passion which has been able to pull her from the useless emotional state she was in, to this much more important frame of mind, and it was that passion that finally pushed her offenses to evolve.

But it isn't just a change in his mind that's begun to sway him… it's her touch, her eyes, that reiatsu, that are also having an effect on him, a decidedly physical one. It's something that she seems to be enforcing as well, though now he's fairly certain that she actually doesn't have any ulterior motive for it, she simply enjoys it. But he can't have her catching her off guard like she has so often since they met. His hand lifting from his pocket with measured ease, headed toward the ivory column of her throat.

Orihime sees the motion and her chin lifts up without hesitation. The power of his hand closes lightly around her neck, with his fingers curling about the back. He slowly allows his thumb to graze slowly over the quickening pulse that flutters there. She's a paradox that he can't seem to unravel. At first he had thought her trash, useless and completely unfit for the brutal life that was Hueco Mundo. But that wasn't entirely true, and he was forced to admit he'd judged her too quickly, failing to see strengths that were now so incredibly obvious. He closes his eyes, concentrating solely on the feel of her skin under his, and the graceful flow of her reiatsu.

He begins to focus on that curious well of spirit energy and directs his own towards it. Not the brutish, hulking wall he had hit her with before, but a slow carefully controlled push, one that she could freely push back against. And push she does, as soon as she realizes she's not being smothered by it she begins to exert herself and throw her own aura back against his. The two opposing energies meet, crackling in discontent between each other, but slowly the edges of each become indistinct. Gold and violet blending into black and green as their combined wills begin to swirl heatedly against one another. He's not sure exactly what he's doing, but at that moment he's one of the only two things that exist in the universe. He feels her reiryoku start to become accommodating, his reiatsu streaking through her being almost without resistance now. Though she pushes, she simply doesn't possess the force in her spiritual pressure to slither through his dark, dense reiryoku.

For her it feels like she's pressing up against a dark and massive pillar that could neither be moved nor avoided, but seemed to seep into her every pore. To him, it felt like soaring through liquid silk, a warm and pliable sheath that slides across the strength of his essence.

He stumbles across a realization, almost missing it in its subtlety, his eyes flying open as he slowly begins to pull back from her. The world starts coming back as his senses are no longer dominated by that union. The room is just as it had been, with Loly and Menoly prone and silent on the floor. He can hear Orihime breathing heavily, seeing the exertion slowly smoothing from her features. Her hands have once again nested against him, holding tightly as he realizes she's about to fall. He slips his other arm around her waist and helpfully pulls her against him where she snuzzles in without pause. The moves comes to him with unexpected ease, and he's forced to think that perhaps she was right, perhaps somewhere deep down he did still have a heart. It was starting to become evident to him that whatever it was that welled inside her was having an effect on him as well.

"Do you accept me, Orihime?" He plants the seed then and there, his mind already working over a theory that he knows he'll have to test. He pulls back slightly from her, and his hand moves from her throat, to hover over her chest. A soft green energy radiating from his fingertips as he stares intently down at her. At first she catches her breath, a moment of worry taking over her, before she looks up to him, and quickly nods without speaking. She can still feel the way his reiatsu had been threading through her being. This time it was utterly non-threatening, simply exploring the very depths of her soul with his. It had been an intimacy that she hadn't actually been prepared for. It had left her panting under the strain, and even though she could sense he was being exceedingly careful, she had still been forced to send almost all of her will just to keep even with his gentle push into her. Despite its intensity, she knew that she loved the feeling of it, the feeling of him _inside_ her like that. It conjures images of an entirely different nature and brings a furious blush to her cheeks.

"There will soon come a time, that I'll need to you to completely accept me inside you, to become a vessel for me. Can you do that?" He speaks slowly, deliberately to her. All the while his eyes remain fixated on hers. She draws a long shuddering breath, which is entirely necessary at this point. But when she exhales it comes out in a moan that, while not necessary, was entirely unavoidable. She nods exuberantly and bites her lip, struggling to say something but finding herself unable. She's breathless, and having problems remembering to inhale. She catches herself holding her breath under his stare, unable or unwilling to do anything when he's looking at her so intently.

"I must attend to another matter, Orihime. See to it that…" He's interrupted as she lifts on impulse, her body sliding against his as she squirms against him. The images running through her mind drive her, almost without thought. Her head lifts, her eyes closing as she quickly places her lips against his. It's brief, soft, and light. It's also the first kiss between them and it causes his eyes to widen yet again as the sensation of her lips on his temporarily erases all thought. She's only there a few moments, seconds that are rich in her smell and her touch, but it's enough to almost completely derail his thoughts.

"…to… to see to it that Loly, and Menoly leave you in peace from here on, have them report to me when they awake." He finishes, forgetting where he was and stumbling over the first few words after the kiss, amazingly his voice remains completely unchanged.

He feels that same ache in him from her damnably soft lips, and can't help it as an annoyed expression crosses his features. He's about to push her away, when she slips back of her own accord, demurring as she folds her hands in front of her and lowers her eyes. She's embarrassed, her cheeks burning hotly from that impulsive move, but her lips are curved in a sweet little smile that again has him struggling not to mimic it.

"You are insufferable, Orihime Inoue." He growls it to her softly, a gruffness in his voice that she's starting to enjoy a little too much. She nods quickly in affirmation, bowing respectfully to him as he moves past her. He stops at the threshold of her room and looks back over his shoulder, green eyes gazing over her as he does.

"Two floors up this tower, just past the Espada's main meeting hall you will find a row of doors. You are to take the fourth one down. This is where you will be staying from now on." His head turns back forward as he walks off without another word. Orihime can't seem to force the smile from her face, partly because she can't find a reason to, and partly because she feels too exhilarated to let it go. She waits until she feels his reiatsu moving off before she places a soft pillow beside the sleeping Arrancar girls and kneels next to them attentively, waiting for them to wake.

It doesn't take much longer before Loly begins to stir. First groaning before her hand wanders up to clutch at her head and her eyes drift open lazily. She's dazed like that for a few moments, before her eyes fly open and she sits straight up looking frantically at her arm, only to find it exactly where it's supposed to be. She stares in disbelief before her eyes shoot to look at the serenely kneeling Orihime.

"W-What did you do?" Loly stammers softly. Her eyes are wide, and much to Orihime's surprise, the girl is terrified. She can't quite figure out how to answer that, so she just shrugs lightly before speaking.

"I rejected the damage done to you, that's the power of my Sōten Kisshun."

Loly listens to this, and it doesn't seem to do anything to settle her fears. She swallows hard, still staring in disbelief before she softly mutters.

"This power, how could you possibly have…" She stops then and desperately looks down to Menoly, her hands immediately searching her blissfully unconscious partner in crime. When she finds the girl there, with no apparent sign of injury she starts to slowly look around the room. She spies the blast left in the wall from Menoly's Cero, then slowly her eyes trail to the incision punched through the wall where Orihime had lanced Tsubaki at Menoly. Seeing both of these things her face screws up in confusion.

"But… it happened…" She insists softly, as if she isn't really even sure of it herself. All this time Orihime, aside from looking confused, remains in her place, kneeling beside the pair. Her eyes follow Loly's gaze, then watches as the Arrancar girl tries to piece it together.

"It did happen it's just that I…" Orihime has every intention of attempting to explain it, but she doesn't get the chance. Loly springs to her feet, leveling a finger at Orihime and proceeds to start yelling at her.

"Don't tell me it happened, what are you trying to say, that it happened and you made it _un_-happen? That's ridiculous! That's absurd! How could you possibly do such a thing?" she cries at the top of her lungs, causing Orihime's eyes to go wide as she leans back slightly in surprise. A nervous, unsure expression on the poor woman's face as she slowly lifts one hand, index finger extended upwards and she begins to explain.

"Well, actually you see I reject…" That's all she gets before Loly is on her again shouting, even more outraged than before.

"You reject? You just reject it and it goes away? So what happens if you reject gravity? What happens if you all the sudden say 'I reject the sky?' Are you even listening to yourself? That's completely crazy!" The absurdity of the claim makes Orihime glance from side to side hesitantly before she thoughtfully answers.

"You know, I've never tried that, I wonder what would happen if I did?" Her index finger slowly moves near the corner of her mouth as her eyes roll up towards the sky in curious contemplation. Needless to say, Loly is aghast. She takes several quick steps back before flinching and moving back to gather Menoly in her arms. Picking the other girl up bodily and pulling her away from Orihime, who can only watch bemused.

"Before you go, Master Ulquiorra said he wished to see you!" she calls after the retreating Loly in a sing-song voice. As the girl dashes off without reply Orihime is left to sit in confusion, wondering just what it was that set the poor girl off.

"Gee, she didn't take that well at all." Orihime speaks softly to herself before rising slowly to her feet. She leaves her suite, glancing to one side to see Loly. She's on one knee, trying to rouse the now groggily responsive Menoly, who's propped unceremoniously against the wall.

A small smile grows on Orihime's lips, genuinely happy to see the girl starting to recover. She turns to look down the other side of the corridor she's in, finding a large, broken crater on the wall opposite the door she's in. She knows that must be where her attack landed, the energy of it erupting after slicing through its intended target. It was a technique she had never realized Tsubaki could use, and it appeared if her intent was strong enough, she really could do quite a bit of damage. The thought brings an unusual smile to her lips and she turns back to face the Arrancar girls.

Loly has just managed to get Menoly's arm around her and is starting to help her to walk off when Orihime comes up to them.

"Loly, I want to say something to you." She says softly, watching as the girl freezes in place.

"I don't have anything to say to you… you're a monster." Her voice sounds cold, but it's edged with a fear that continues to confuse Orihime.

"Loly, turn around and hear what I have to say."

_Command the respect of those beneath you_. His words coming to her mind at the same time that Loly rigidly guides Menoly around, so they can both face Orihime.

"What?" she asks in exasperation. She wants to run, and it shows in every move she makes.

"I do not want you to become my enemy. But I no longer fear using my power. Master Ulquiorra commanded me to make sure that you understand that. And he ordered me to tell you to report to him when you were awake." She pauses. The girl is pale, breathing heavily and trying her best to remain quiet. It isn't respect, its fear, and Orihime knows this. But so long as Loly was terrified of her, she would never again try what she tried today.

"Now go." Orihime speaks the words like she has the authority to. Loly flinches before nodding once, moving a little more hastily to usher Menoly along. As she watches them go she marvels at the sensation. She had just bested this girl, and even though she hadn't wanted to fight them, she had. She had put her all into it and she had severely wounded them both, before the fight was called by a referee. Now that she had been victorious over Loly, the girl would more likely flee than fight, and would probably only fight to defend herself.

She turns and begins to walk down the corridor, thinking to herself along the way. It really was the only language that creatures would reliably understand in the world of the hollows. Hueco Mundo was predatory, untamed.

_Wait…_

Untamed, it seemed so simple to her then. Part of what Aizen had done here was to tame Hueco Mundo. He had taken the most powerful hollows he could find, and he had turned them into Arrancar, and of them he had chosen the Espada. In doing so he had created a chain of command in a world where only brutality had existed. And even in that chain of command the brutality persisted, but it was no longer just chaos. There had to be a way to push past that, to impose even more of an order on this feral existence.

Before she realizes it, she's at the door she'd been instructed to come to. The fourth down from the Espada's meeting hall. Slowly she steps up, taking a deep breath as the door slides open. What greets her is not exactly what she had been expecting. The room, larger than the suite she was in has more ornate furniture, a slightly larger bed, as well as an adjoining sitting room and bathroom. But none of that really separates it from any of the other suites she's seen. What sets it apart, is to one side, near a rather large window is large patch of the dust, and sand that makes up the desert of Hueco Mundo. Growing from the center of this patch is a nondescript, leafless tree. As she approaches she realizes that it's not really a tree, its silvery surface more resembling some sort of crystal. She takes this in, trying to understand what its significance could possibly be.

The musing goes on for some time before she yawns, violently. She blinks several times in surprise at the suddenness, and the intensity of the yawn and tries to remember when she last slept. She can't, it seemed like forever since she had last laid her head on the pillow, and she isn't even thinking about it as she strips down to her slip and hangs her dress up in a rather vacant closet. She moves tiredly towards the spacious bed, sliding into the exquisitely soft sheets and she's out cold within seconds of her head hitting the pillow.

Directly adjacent to the tower Orihime is in, the Espada Zommari Rereaux stood in a shaft of light filtering through a single high window. He had sensed the battle between his superiors, and after realizing Nnoitra had been destroyed he had come here in silent contemplation. It had been some time since that battle had taken place and he still couldn't be sure what exactly had ignited it, but he did have a pretty good idea. That human woman Lord Aizen had sent Ulquiorra to acquire. Nnoitra had been pretty overt at times on how he felt about females, even powerful Arrancar females. Zommari could only assume that such an attitude would have made his hatred flare, when he learned of Lord Aizen holding this human woman in such high regard.

But her technique was truly amazing, as Lord Aizen had said. He had watched with all the others as that seemingly powerless human woman had effortlessly restored Grimmjow's destroyed limb. Such a power was something that could be very useful in any number of instances, and he understood Lord Aizen's reasons for wanting to keep her close at hand. He knew that Ulquiorra, also understood the value of the human woman, and no doubt had been forced to destroy Nnoitra to protect her.

He notices Ulquiorra standing behind him, bathed in darkness before moving to sit to one side of Zommari. Neither tries to say anything, rather letting the silence carry the moment. A sudden surge of reiatsu floods the air and Zommari can feel both Wonderweiss and Hooleer moving to a freshly forming Garganta of massive proportions. He nods slightly to himself, finally speaking in his even, contemplative tone.

"It appears Lord Aizen is ready to end the fight. Soon, Ulquiorra, we will be victorious, and Lord Aizen will launch his attack on the Soul King!" There's a faint hint of exhilaration in Zommari's voice and he lifts his eyes to the window, even though nothing of this development can be seen.

Ulquiorra hears him speak and suddenly remembers hearing something very similar not too long ago. He doesn't respond, considering what could happen. The possibility that Aizen would ever return here was remote, something that Zommari had either not considered, or was not concerned by. But Ulquiorra wasn't very concerned by it either. His hands tucked into his pockets as he reclines in the comfortable lounge, he wonders what, if anything will come of this war. He had followed Aizen away from the first place that he had thought he felt happiness. A place that was as desolate and lifeless as he was. But the farther he got from that place, and the more real the possibility that Aizen would never return, there was just one thing left that he wished to think of. And it was very close. Close, and warm.

"… Soul King. It will be a glorious sight, and we shall all celebrate the new god of all souls, Lord Aizen!" Ulquiorra realizes that Zommari had still been talking. His brow furrows slightly and his eyes turn to regard the other Espada coolly.

"Zommari, be silent." He says it without hurry, and the other Espada turns to face him, his golden eyes flashing just a moment with something. Ulquiorra stands slowly and moves toward Zommari with his gaze drifting slowly around the sitting room.

"Haven't you ever considered the possibility that Aizen won't return here. That he will perish at the hands of the Soul Reapers and we will be left here in Las Noches." His voice carefully measured. The lightest of inflections accent his words as he poses the question.

At this Zommari's eyes widen ever so slightly in surprise. Then narrow again as he regards the Cuatro Espada with a very serious glare.

"That is almost heresy Ulquiorra… You would dare to claim that the meager forces of those Shinigami could possibly triumph over Lord Aizen?" His voice is slow, and it carries with it a sort of menace. The menace goes unnoticed by Ulquiorra, who raises one hand dismissively and turns his head in annoyance.

"Listen when I'm speaking to you Zommari, I asked if you had considered the possibility. You would be foolish not to plan for every outcome you can conceive of. How do you think Aizen made it this far in the first place?" The words are as close to a snap as Ulquiorra comes, and Zommari falls silent.

They can both feel it as the Garganta closes, Hooleer and Wonderweiss gone from the world of Hollows.

"If Aizen sends word for us to come as reinforcements, I will not be responding." It's a simple statement. And that subtle tone in Ulquiorra's voice leaves no question of its sincerity. He's moved towards the window, a bit closer, leaving his back to Zommari.

"That is treason Ulquiorra." Zommari is already grasping the hilt of his Zanpakuto, Brujeria. He starts to move, but he stops when Ulquiorra speaks.

"Think very carefully Zommari, about what you're about to do. Think carefully about your place." He doesn't even look back. Zommari feels a hot rage flare through him, the arrogant challenge of leaving his back exposed while making such a statement. Slowly his hand releases Brujeria, and he closes his eyes a moment to regain his composure.

"If you wish to go throw yourself at Aizen's feet then do so. I won't try and stop you, but he is never going to return here, and I am going to start preparing for our future beyond that, with or without you." Ulquiorra speaks bluntly. He turns, looking to Zommari, before walking directly past him towards the door.

"Aizen is a Soul Reaper, and even now I'm not sure why I ever trusted him in the first place. He may have shown us a new path, but he definitely isn't going to lead us down it." It's the last thing he says as he exits the room and Zommari looks after him for a while, contemplating his words. Perhaps there was some truth in them, but could they truly forsake the man that had given them so much?

Ulquiorra descends the stairs, towards the central hub that links all of the towers on the dome. When he's traversing the distance between the towers he spies two figures moving towards him. Loly and Menoly approach quickly before coming to a halt in front of him. He walks right past them, continuing towards the other tower.

"U-Ulquiorra, the human woman told us that you wished to see us?" Menoly ventures quietly, before the two of them start to nervously follow.

"I hope that you two have learned a lesson today." He speaks softly, listening as both of the girls hesitate before one of them speaks.

"I can't believe that bitch…" Loly mutters under her breath, Menoly flinches and elbows her partner sharply, putting a stop to that vocalization. Ulquiorra smirks ever so slightly and shakes his head just a bit.

"I will be making an announcement, in the next day or two. When I do I will want you to summon all of the Numeros, and all of the Adjuchas to the front gate of Las Noches." He steps into the entry way of the dimly lit tower. Loly and Menoly exchange looks, then hurry to follow.

"Why, what's happened? Has Lord Aizen finally broken their lines, and taken the battle to the Sereitei?" Loly asks quickly, very interested until Ulquiorra stops, and glances back over his shoulder. His look stops them both dead in their tracks.

"Be prepared to do as I command. When there is more that you need to know, I will tell you." He speaks to them coldly, before he starts to move off again. They linger there a bit longer, before they slowly start to go about the task he had given them. As Ulquiorra continues up the stairs towards his chambers he's thinking intently about the possibilities of what lay ahead. Part of him expected Aizen to return, smiting his Cuatro Espada for such insolence. But the stronger piece of him, the part that Orihime was trying so hard to reach, knew that he would never return, no matter what the outcome of that fight. Aizen had been a lynchpin that had pulled them all together. They were a completely dysfunctional band that had managed to share the same walls with few incidents. But it was just tolerating one another. Aside from their Fracción, the Espada didn't work with anyone. The whole reason Las Noches was so incredibly large, was simply to give them all room, so they wouldn't be at each other's throats constantly.

It was just a matter of time now, soon everything would be decided, and until that time there was no merit in contemplating the unknown. As he reaches the door to his chambers it slips open. Inside he can see Orihime on his bed, curled warmly in the soft sheets provided. It's a bed he's never used, instead moving over to sit lightly, with his back against the desert tree. He relaxes, closing his eyes. He hadn't brought the original tree to him, but rather made a facsimile. The original remained where it was unlikely to be found, but here this little substitute occasionally afforded him peace, and some measure of contentment. He leans back and lets his eyes close. He slowly examines the world around him for any unusual traces of spiritual pressure. When he is certain nothing is out of the ordinary, he rests quietly against his tree and begins to let his thoughts wander.

They don't wander far.

Orihime is floating in a space that is both relaxing and invigorating. She has no idea how long she's been here, maybe forever? No, she knows she was somewhere else before, somewhere much different. She becomes aware of six others with her here, and as she begins to glance about she sees them. Lily, Tsubaki, Hinagiku, Baigon, Ayame, and Shun'ō, they are the six fragments of her spirit that form her Shun-Shun Rikka. She can't hear them, but she knows they are speaking to her, words that she may as well be speaking herself.

She sees them, moving in their usual formations. First Tsubaki, streaks forward in a swath of light before returning to hover directly in front of her. She is standing now in the ether of her mind, watching as Ayame and Shun'ō cross paths to form her Sōten Kisshun, each sprite now on either side of her. Hinagiku, Lily, and Baigon are next streaking into their triangular formation to form Santen Kesshun, with two of the points directly in front of her, the third point lays flat, leaving the triangle beneath her feet and the third point directly behind her.

As Orihime looks around she recognizes their formation: three isosceles triangles overlapping under her feet to form a pentagram. Tsubaki continues to flutter directly in front of her and as she looks down the words come to her mind.

_Ama no Toride, Citadel of Heaven_. As she turns, the points around her stay relative to her body, turning as she does. She raises one hand, and Tsubaki leaps forward, cleaving across her vision to follow the motion of her hand. Slowly she lifts her other hand palm flat and facing forward, and instantly the third point of Santen Kesshun leaps up, forming the triangular barrier in front of her. It lays back down as her hand drops. Tsubaki returns to hover in front of her, swirling in lazy figure eights. The two points of her Sōten Kisshun break out at wide angles to encompass the entire pentagram, bathing the area in a warm restorative light.

Orihime realizes that this must be the true, fully released form of her Shun-Shun Rikka. With all of her abilities working in unison to form a fortress capable of extreme defense, while still being able to attack at foes. Slowly they all split away, pleasure running through every fiber of her being. She can't be sure if it's from them, or if it's hers, but since they are a part of her, she decides the point is moot.

Ulquiorra is standing behind her. Not really, but she can feel his presence, cold and comforting as his words drift into her mind.

_Do you accept me, Orihime?_

The very thought seems to bring Hinagiku, Lily, and Baigon returning to hover in front of her. But this time they do not form a triangle. They begin to fly in a tight, vertical circle, only a foot apart. She looks at this formation as something important begins to dawn on her. She can't quite wrap her mind about it and slowly the dream begins to fade from her and consciousness begins to return.

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	5. Chapter 5

**NephandiMan** - *coughs* I don't know what you're talking about. (I almost didn't put that part in the story actually) And I have been having a serious internal debate about Zommari's fate. But it all seems to be coming together.

**Death Angel** – Thank you for saying so, rest assured I shall.

**Lamiko**- I'm truly happy that you are enjoying it. So far the story just seems to be –there- waiting to be written.

**xBlaZeXXBlissx**- The 'Master Ulquiorra' thing was part of a… reinforcement game they were playing. It becomes less prominent as their relationship develops. ;)

**KANDIIDA**- Lucky for you I've already thought about this possibility. All will become clear.

_***SPOILER ALERT*** _

_Sentinel Prime is actually a __Decepticon._

_Also, if you haven't seen the conclusion of the Aizen arc… you should probably check that first. _

Chapter 5 – Past, the Point of no Return

Hollows were sexless. Though engendered through personality, they had no means, nor desire for procreation. Souls were transferred from the world of the living… things were never _born_ in the world of Hollows. But unlike the Soul Society, things in Hueco Mundo did not take human form. The closest were the Vasto Lorde, the most powerful hollows to rise from the Forest of Menos. But even they weren't human-like. They were still just carnivorous savages, most of whom were slaves to that hunger. That was all before the Arrancar had been created. Now this highest echelon of hollows had been born into a new form that, like the Shinigami, mimicked the form of humans. And that meant that now, Ulquiorra was aware of Orihime on an entirely differently level than he'd ever been aware of anything else.

There were females of course; the Arrancar's engendered personality taking physical shape when they were created. He knew that there were experiments with that most carnal act already taking place. He had seen little point in such a frivolous venture and he'd neither sought, nor been sought out. And that had been fine with him. But now he's looking down at the sleeping Orihime, and cursing himself for not sampling more of her warmth.

She had slept nearly an entire day, recent events having drained her, even more completely than she'd realized. But, only moments ago, a rather frantic Arrancar had peeked in to deliver him a message: Lord Aizen had defeated the Gotei 13, and had proceeded into the real Karakura town.

He had run out of time to sample in such frolicsome fantasies. The time was now at hand, and a part of him knew that he may very well have to face the wrath of Aizen before this day was through.

He turned from the bed without another thought and walked from the room. It was only a short trip down the hall to the meeting chamber where Zommari was waiting. Three lesser hollows that had been spying had come to report. The information comes quickly as soon as Ulquiorra is on scene.

Orihime wakes to the sound of the door sliding closed behind Ulquiorra. She rouses slowly, trying to ignore this honeyed warmth deep inside her. She looks around, sensing him moving away, towards the meeting hall. Something doesn't feel right to her and it forces her to slip from that bed quickly. She finds a fresh dress folded neatly on the foot of the bed and quickly gets dressed before she hurriedly straightens up, and slips out the door.

It takes her only a moment to enter the meeting hall, searching for Ulquiorra.

"… After Lord Aizen stepped into the real Karakura town, we lost him momentarily." The nameless hollow hisses, the sound vaguely reptilian. One of the other two hollows, a short, squat little beast quickly picks up.

"We were able to follow shortly after, and found Lord Aizen about snuff some meaningless humans out of existence, when that substitute Shinigami appeared."

Orihime's ears perk at this as she quietly moves in. She feels terribly insecure, still unsure if she should even be at such a meeting. But she pushes herself to move and walks to stand behind Ulquiorra quietly. Zommari glances at her briefly but says nothing, and all three listen as the hollows continue their report.

"The substitute Soul Reaper then attacked Lord Aizen, and was able to propel him out of the town at an extremely high speed. We lost them again and when we attempted to get close, we were unable to get past their combating spiritual pressures." The hollow hesitates, almost flinching as if it expects some sort of punishment for this failure. When none comes it continues slowly.

"When it became calm enough for us to approach, we arrived just in time to see another exiled Shinigami arrive." The hollow hesitates, nervously fidgeting before it finishes. "They had locked Lord Aizen in some sort of kido. I heard the Shinigami saying that the Hōgyoku had rejected Aizen as its master, and that this kido would seal him away."

"Impossible!" Zommari's eyes have gone wide and he glares down at the hollows angrily. All three of the lesser hollows cower immediately.

"It's true! The Shinigami have already moved the kido prison back to the Soul Society, but the substitute Soul Reaper; we also heard that in using his ultimate attack on Lord Aizen, had sacrificed his powers." The third hollow speaks quickly to vouch for the other two, this one the tallest, lanky and impossibly thin.

Ichigo had sacrificed his Shinigami powers to defeat Aizen. Orihime felt relieved suddenly, she had been so worried that he might fall in that battle. Of all the others, he and Rukia had paid her the most kindness, and even when she couldn't pay them back in battle she had always been glad she could heal them afterward. She felt a sudden homesickness, and her eyes dropped. Somehow, it had been easier when she'd thought that Aizen would win.

Ulquiorra stands then, a bored look on his face as he glances down at the hollows. "You're dismissed." The hollows, all relatively small in stature quickly make themselves scarce. It was rare that simple hollows were even allowed inside Las Noches, and they knew lingering too long would most likely mean their demise.

"We have to go free Lord Aizen from those arrogant Soul Reapers, to think they can hold such a man captive…" Zommari starts to protest, he's interrupted when Ulquiorra shoots him a look.

"Are you really so dense? Aizen was the arrogant one if he's found himself in their shackles. I told you before, go crawl to his feet if you want… I have no intentions of stopping you." He almost sneers the words, turning his back on Zommari and starting to walk away.

"We have less than a day before the substitute Soul Reaper and his friends come looking for Orihime. Make your decision before they arrive." The words shake Orihime to the core. She starts to walk after him, hurrying to catch up as she follows close. She realizes that she's trembling, an anxious knot tying in her stomach. They _are_ coming. She knows them and if the threat of Aizen's war is over, then Ulquiorra is right: They will be coming to get her. She curses herself angrily for not being more prepared for this possibility. Maybe before, when she had been lost in that miserable place she would have just been elated to see them all. But now, the new feelings she had begun to develop here made any decision on this matter look impossible.

"Your place is with me now, Orihime." He speaks the words softly, cutting through her thoughts as he slows, and stops. He turns to face her, and even with all that's happened, all that's about to happen, she can only marvel at how stoic he remains. His hand lifts from his pocket, and it circles around her wrist, that same wrist. The sensation of it brings back the memory of pain, then all that followed it. That had been the reason she couldn't heal herself. The pain had branded it all into her memory and as his hand locks around her wrist she feels her body relax.

"I… I know." She speaks softly, but adds a nod. She looks up to him, and waits before she speaks again.

"Let me go to them, m-maybe I can convince them that I do not need to be rescued."

He looks over her slowly. Those piercing eyes reveal more to her now than they ever had before. He's torn inside, some deep lament that clearly has him troubled. Now when she looks into those eyes she wonders how she _couldn't_ see it all before.

"You will not go anywhere near them alone… is that understood?" His voice lowers slightly. His eyes narrow and she can feel his grip tighten just a bit on her wrist. It causes her to suck in her breath, still lost in that gaze she nods briefly. She bites her lip, looking down a moment.

"Then, you will come with me?" There's hope in her words, and it's something he has no intention of denying her when she looks back up at him.

"I will, and we will make them understand that your place is here now."

Her breath seizes in her chest as she suddenly imagines just what might happen if a fight for her broke out. She can feel her eyes welling up and she has to blink several times to keep the tears from flowing.

"Your fear is unnecessary pet. I have no desire to harm any of your friends. I will attempt to reason with them." He speaks simply, completely unaware of the fact that his thumb has started to stroke lightly over the veins in her wrist. That stroke and his use of the word; that little word, make her sigh softly. She nods again slowly and when she speaks, her eyes have lowered again.

"Like you did with Nnoitra?"

He stares silently at her for a few moments. He had dealt with Nnoitra in the only way he could. He suspected that Orihime's friends would be a challenge to reason with, and it might very well degenerate to violence. He was torn and he wanted to let her go. Now that it was all over she could just as easily return to her world, back to her life and her friends. Now that he was beginning to understand what she meant when she spoke of her heart, he found he didn't want to be responsible for her misery. But he couldn't let her go. Not now.

"Yes." He didn't lie. He didn't attempt to placate her. Perhaps if she was vehement enough, she could break his hold on her and return to the arms of her friends. Such an innocent creature had no need to live in the brutality of Hueco Mundo.

Her hands lift, and deftly she slips them around him, once again pressing her form against his. It seems so easy for her now. She does it like she had been doing it all along. When she presses her face against him, he lifts his head slightly, resting his chin on top of her head. Slowly the hand that had been on her wrist releases when she moves, and naturally finds its way to the small of her back. It's a silent supplication from her, and it brings with it a sensation that Ulquiorra has no frame of reference for. It makes him take a quick, sharp inhale and hold it for a few moments before exhaling again. Then there's that heat again, that inviting warmth that is her body and soul. He knows even though he wanted to release her, he would never be able to.

She doesn't persist though, slipping back from him and nodding, glancing up to him briefly with a small, heartbroken smile. He turns, eyes lingering on her just a bit longer than they would have normally, then he's walking back down the hall with her on his heels. He makes his way through the long corridors and deep stairs until they exit the main fortress, and begin making for the gate.

They are greeted by Loly and Menoly who have done their duty, a large number of hollows assembled just beyond the gate. The Arrancar, from the Privaron Espada, to the Numeros, had all assembled. The Adjuchas that lorded over the Forest of Menos were milling about, as well as many random, powerful hollows.

He walks through the assembled masses to stand at the center. Zommari, Loly, Menoly, and Orihime stand with him as he begins to speak. It starts out in his usual soft tone, before slowly gaining strength and volume.

"I have called you all here to inform you of Aizen's defeat at the hands of the Soul Society. He came to this desolate place and found each of us as perfect pawns for his end game." He looks about slowly, catching the eyes of many, his own intimidating stare enforcing his words.

"Aizen showed us what a hollow could truly become. What we were destined to become. But what Aizen showed us, he did through the Hōgyoku, and the Hōgyoku, while powerful… could only grant those wishes that were already possible to achieve." His consuming gaze swept across those assembled.

"We have been shown a new path, beyond that meaningless, cannibalistic existence we all knew. But what he has shown us… is only part of the journey. I plan to build upon this foundation he has given us and create a new meaning for our existence in this world." He watches each of them in turn, Loly and Menoly look like they might snap, coiled somewhere between abject terror, and mindless rage. Zommari has returned to his signature calmed state and takes the words with only the slightest nod. Orihime stands, hands clasped neatly in front of her as she listens, looking directly to Ulquiorra with something that might have been pride.

"Aizen was a treacherous Soul Reaper, who lacked even the basic honor of other Shinigami. He had used us to fulfill his goals and would have just as easily discarded us. He was never here to elevate us beyond our meager existence. But I am." Ulquiorra glares across the Hollows around him, daring them to challenge him, daring them to tell him they didn't believe the words he spoke.

"Follow me if you are strong enough. Wither in this meaningless existence if you aren't. I will leave it up to you." He closes with finality, slipping one arm around Orihime's waist. He tenses, and with a burst of Sonido leaps from the crowd with a back-blast of air and dust at his departure. He lands lightly atop the gate's arch, looking down on the assembled hollows below. Only a moment later Zommari lands next to them on the gate house, several seconds later Loly and Menoly appear. Both of the Arrancar girls have dropped to one knee, one fist pressed to the ground as the other rests lightly over their propped up knees. They had been enraged at first. They should have been there for Lord Aizen, there to help him. But Ulquiorra's words struck an unsettling chord in them.

It was something they had all sensed, but never said. Aizen had unified them, but beneath it all, creatures so acutely tuned to treachery and devious manipulation had known, in the fiber of their being that they had meant nothing to Aizen. Even Loly and Menoly, who had loved the man, worshipped him, realized that it was a lie they had believed because they wanted something different. They wanted to believe there was another way. And coming from a Soul Reaper it was hypocritical; meaningless sentiments from a creature that didn't understand their existence. Loly and Menoly had shared a look, and made their decision without words. To hear it from Aizen had been false hope, a promise for a hollow meaning, to their empty existence. But to hear it from one of their own, to hear the call for change from a powerful Hollow, who had lived and fought through the savage nature of their world, and _still_ wanted to make a change… That made the words something that none of the Hollows assembled there could ignore.

The assembly below doesn't move, they don't disperse to return to their wild ways. Instead they all stand, and wait, looking up now for instruction. They had not been under an imposed rule for long, but already they had become accustomed to the security that it had brought. The order seemed preferable to the chaos that had existed before.

"You speak brave words Ulquiorra. Do you truly believe that there is a future for us without Aizen?" Zommari speaks as he too looks down at the assembled masses. Lord Aizen had seemed like the answer to a riddle that Zommari had been plagued with since he first reasserted his personality. But it was true, Lord Aizen had been a Soul Reaper, and he had formed seemingly important bonds, both with peers and underlings in the Soul Society… and he had discarded them without a second thought. He had used them, and had just as surely used the Hollows to further his own ambitions. If he could betray his own so coldly, what would the fate of the Hollows have been under Aizen's rule?

"I do not believe anything Zommari, this is simply the most prudent course of action given the circumstances. If we capitulate to fate and accept we are, as we have always been… then this change is for nothing." He is oddly contemplative, thinking only a few moments before he speaks again.

"Nelliel tu Odelshwanck must be revived to her former status." He says simply, before adding: "Loly, Menoly, track her down and bring her to the meeting hall." He looks down at the two, who lift their eyes, look to each other, and nod slightly. The two move off without question, leaving Zommari, Ulquiorra, and Orihime standing there.

"And what would you have me do then?" Zommari inquires slowly, still looking down over the hollows below.

"Spread the word Zommari. Be sure that all understand there is a new future if they are strong enough to grasp it. The Shinigami will be coming soon, I want you to see to it they are not approached… I will deal with them personally." He speaks softly and Orihime smiles a bit at the sound of it.

Zommari casts another glance in his direction, before he bows his head slightly. He shifts away from them without a word, moving back down to the assembly below. Ulquiorra continues to watch as he feels Orihime moving up to him. He doesn't even bother looking, simply extending one arm to let her curl against him lightly.

"He has shown us how to evolve, what we could become if we did push ourselves to evolve, but he didn't show us everything." Ulquiorra speaks slowly as he forms the words.

"You are now my greatest weakness Orihime Inoue." The simple, dry tone causes her face to fall a moment, as a pang of regret for those words hits her.

"But you are also my greatest strength. Without you, the path I've chosen to walk would be completely impossible." He continues to watch, as under Zommari's instruction the individual groups begin to move off, heading out across Hueco Mundo to spread the word of what had happened. Zommari then turns and begins to head back into Las Noches.

The words cause Orihime's heart to flutter slightly, and what had started as a saddened tear by his initial statement, became a joyful one. She remains silent still, holding against him for some time before another presence can be felt. She's felt it before, but it's much weaker now than the last time she did.

"Zommari was right Ulquiorra Cifer, brave words… But do you have what it takes to back them? Can you possibly hope to change the very nature of our world?" Her voice is strained. She's barely made it to the top of the gate. After falling to Aizen's blade she almost hadn't managed to crawl from the battle. It had taken some time before she could summon the strength to open a Garganta, and her passage through that black void had been tenuous at best.

Upon making it back she had lain in the desert, sure that this was the place she would finally die. But in time she had been able to force herself to move, and find her way back to Las Noches. She had come upon the assembly of hollows and had just been about to approach when Ulquiorra and company had walked to the center for that announcement. She had stayed back, and waited, listening. She knew if it had been a plot to save Aizen then she couldn't approach. There was no way she could ever follow that Soul Reaper again.

But she hadn't heard the words she'd been expecting to hear. She instead heard Ulquiorra speak of a new future for the world of Hollows after Aizen's defeat. She had been shocked to hear it from the Espada whose desolate and apathetic attitude was unmatched. Summoning her last reserves she concentrated before making her move to the top of the gate, arriving after the others had already left.

Now she's looking intently at Ulquiorra, hardly able to stand. Orihime turns in shock to regard her voice, and as expected, Ulquiorra doesn't even look in her direction, having already been aware of her presence.

"Tier Harribel, I did not receive word that you had lived." His arm slowly releasing Orihime, who, true to her nature; is already manifesting her Sōten Kisshun. When it wraps around Harribel, she collapses to her knees.

"Please lie down, and try and make yourself comfortable. Everything will be okay!" Orihime chirps quickly. Tier does as she's told, sinking gratefully to the subtle arch framing the gate. The glow enveloping her flickers lightly around her body. An odd peace allows the Tres Espada to finally close her eyes.

"You did not receive word, but you still knew." She states softly, calling Ulquiorra out. Ulquiorra, in response, glances down to her before he speaks.

"I did, I could not be sure you would return here, but when I felt your Spiritual Pressure I assumed it was just a matter of time before you showed yourself." He retorts coldly, unfeeling as always.

Tier absorbs this, nodding slowly. She had never expected him to be the one leading any kind of movement, but she felt comforted by it, he was one of the most trusted and capable Espada. She allows her eyes to open again and looks at Orihime, whose brow is knit in concentration as she works to restore Tier's body.

"She prefers to heal rather than attack, even when it is a potential enemy." Tier notes softly, but even as she says it, she can sense there has been some change in this girl.

"It is a source of ongoing confusion for me, too." Ulquiorra says flatly, looking out over the dark of the desert. He can feel a Garganta opening, far off in the distance. The substitute Soul Reaper and his friends had arrived, sooner than expected. He glances down to Orihime then, who seems blissfully unaware. Tier however is looking at him, as if she too had sensed it. It wouldn't have surprised him in the least, she was powerful. An accomplished strategist, prone to careful thought and she always showed a keen awareness of her surroundings. Slowly Tier's eyes fall and she regards Orihime again before speaking.

"I suppose I should be thankful…" Tier says softly, settling back again and falling silent.

It's about then that Orihime becomes aware of the faintest hints of Spiritual Pressure. That trademark feel of her friend's reiatsu coming to her from across the desert. She tries to push it to the back of her mind, and concentrate on her work. As Tier speaks softly to Ulquiorra, it helps to distract her from thinking of her friends.

"I didn't know what to expect, when I returned here… But I certainly never expected this." Tier pauses, looking up at Ulquiorra for a long time before she speaks again.

"If you are sincere in your wish to bring real meaning to our existence, then I will support you." It was never even a question in her mind. Unlike most hollows, she had actually formed several lasting, and caring bonds. The destruction of her Fracción had left her feeling empty inside. She had helped to guard them from the ravenous males of Hueco Mundo, and together, the four of them had carved out their own little family. And though she was truly devastated by their loss, she knew that if there was even the possibility of helping others here find that, then it would be worth it. If what he said was true, then it wouldn't have to be like it was before. In her time battling the Shinigami face to face she had learned that they all shared powerful emotional and physical bonds with each other.

When Tier had been here with Mila Rose, Sun-Sun, and Apacci, she had believed they were the only ones to form such an attachment. The roving hunting parties the males sometimes formed had no lasting bonds. They never truly cared for each other. It never occurred to her that things were so drastically different for humans and Shinigami.

Starrk and Lilynette had been the only exception, but even that didn't count because they were technically two halves of the same soul. But what Ulquiorra was proposing could lead to an entirely different life for the hollows of Hueco Mundo. She couldn't be sure what his plan was, but she knew that there was a purpose behind him now, unlike anything he'd possessed before.

As Orihime finishes her work, Tier expresses her thanks, and slowly stands. It truly is a remarkable ability. She isn't even tired anymore, the weariness of it all washed away like it had never transpired. She stands, and zips up her restored jacket, covering the bony bustier and half-mask that are the remnants of her Hollow form.

Ulquiorra finally turns to face her then, nodding lightly in affirmation of her pledge.

"Then, I have sent Loly and Menoly to retrieve Nelliel tu Odelshwanck. She must be made to remember her past, to restore the power Nnoitra robbed from her." He catches the deep green of Harribel's eyes and she nods almost immediately.

"A wise choice, her nature and demeanor would be well suited for this." Harribel can't deny that she would have also recruited the lost Nelliel to join such a cause. None of the Espada would have been more pleased to see change than her. But it would be tricky to get her powers back as they should be.

"Aren't you concerned Ulquiorra, I am Tres Espada. Aren't you worried that my power may be a threat to you?" She asks him suddenly. Her eyes narrow at him as she searches for an answer she needs to know. His eyes look into hers, scorching in their intensity, while somehow continuing to remain so cold.

"It's irrelevant Tier Harribel. So long as we are fighting for the same purpose, what does it matter who is stronger?" He dismisses the question with a wave of his hand, noting that she seems satisfied by this answer. She relaxes visibly and turns towards the edge of the gate's arch.

Tier casts them both a parting glance, and leaps off the gate, heading back into Las Noches.

The two stand silently there for a few moments. Ulquiorra, deep in thought as he runs over the multitude of scenarios that could come from their imminent encounter. Orihime, unable to help herself begins to focus on those faint threads that are the telltale traces of her friend's reiatsu. She knows that they must be able to sense hers as well, especially Uryū. His keen sense of reiatsu had always been one of his strengths. She knows that this will be the most difficult thing that she has had to do. Even more so than the night she had been sent to pick one person to say goodbye to.

Ichigo Kurosaki; she had been so sure she loved him. She had loved him, as much as she understood it at the time. She had always felt sympathy for him, always admired his strength and resolve. But now she stood next to the one she had pledged her love to. With Ichigo, it had been something that she couldn't bring herself to talk about, and she had barely been able to admit to him even when he was sleeping. Here, she had seen someone so lost, so desolate and devoid of feeling that he hadn't even known what he was missing. In that instant she had known no one but she would ever be able to show him.

She had been in a place, at a time that was absolutely necessary for him to come to the realizations he was just making now. And she could feel her effect on him, even as she was aware of the changes he was making in her. She belonged here, and without her here, he would never be able to change this heartless world. He had said she was his greatest weakness, and his greatest strength, and now she understood why.

By itself the world of Hollows was savage. That was its nature. It wasn't until a being powerful enough to tame it came along, that things started to change. And that being was Sōsuke Aizen. But Aizen had been a devious, callous, shell of a man who understood even less about the heart than the Hollows he'd begun to dominate. She knew Ulquiorra was beginning to understand. Perhaps he would never fully understand, but with her there, he would always have a guide.

As Aizen was, she realized that she would be a lynchpin of sorts. Though it would be the power of the remaining Espada that maintained the order, it would be her influence upon those Espada that would allow them to grow as a whole. But she was just a human, and strong as her influence could become, she was still frail in the world of Hollows.

"I'm ready." She says suddenly, moving closer to him and standing there to look up at his face. He regards her quietly, searching the deep brown of her eyes. She has made her decision, and she is prepared to take fate head on, a fact that shines in her gaze. He leans down, pressing his lips to hers lightly, as she had done to him before. It's an act that carries great significance among humans, and while he's never actively participated before, he has done a fair share of research on humans, including some of the intimacy rituals. One arm slides around her, as the other rests on the hilt of Murciélago, and with a tense and surge of reiatsu he bears her off into the night of Hueco Mundo, towards the traces of spiritual pressure deep in the desert.

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	6. Chapter 6

_Here we go, chapter 6 I felt this was unavoidable, but I used it to illustrate a few important points._

_Thank you to everyone that's made it this far, and I hope you have enjoyed._

Chapter 6- The Final Farewell

"Geez, do you think Hat 'n Clogs could have put us any further away, where the hell is Las Noches anyway?" The orange haired teen declared slowly. He peers around the formless desert, spying nothing of note.

"Obviously we start heading towards the strongest source of Spiritual Pressure, and go from there." Uryū scoffs, pushing the frame of his glasses back up his nose slowly.

Rukia, Renji, and Sado remain silent, taking in Hueco Mundo under the deep dark of its sky. They had been walking for hours, with no signs of anything significant. It seemed as if this place was utterly lifeless and barren. Save for the odd crystalline trees that dotted the landscape there was no sign of… well, anything.

"How long are we going to wander around like this without any direction?" Renji declares suddenly. The long red spikes of his hair restrained neatly at the back of his head, bearing a resemblance to a certain fruit.

"Would you idiots quiet down? Can't you feel her? I can sense her reiatsu, but she's very far away and…" Rukia quiets them with a serious glare, pausing as she studies the reiatsu she can sense.

"And she's not alone." There's a moment of silence as they all begin to examine. She can feel it, faint and distant. Orihime is hard to pinpoint, but she's definitely here. But there's another reiatsu near hers, one that is frighteningly powerful. Three of the Espada had never joined the fight with Aizen, and the friends knew that those three were most likely still lingering here, keeping a hold on Orihime. They had known they stood a real chance of running into one of them sooner or later.

As Rukia begins to move off, the others follow. They run quickly through the desert towards something on the horizon, a large structure they can just barely make out in the gloom that is Hueco Mundo.

They run for several hours, before they have to rest and recuperate. They spend a short time there before they set off again. There is very little speech between them, all of them focused on the task at hand.

But there is an underlying concern among the group. Ichigo's Spiritual Pressure was weakening steadily since his fight with Aizen. Before, it would peak and valley, and when the spikes came they were truly monumental. But now after he had used Mugetsu, his spikes were significantly weakened, and even now they could all feel he was being taxed more and more. He had barely been conscious and had forced himself to come on this mission. He had already collapsed once, and had carried on through sheer will alone.

There had been no point in trying to talk him out of it, and they knew that. The Soul Reapers had been unable to provide any assistance, and even ordered Renji and Rukia to stay out of it, and report back to the Soul Society. Which they had done under Byakuya's supervision, then promptly returned to Urahara's shop, just in time to intercept Ichigo. After a final failed attempt to convince him to wait, they had agreed to come with him. It didn't sit right with any of them to leave Orihime there alone, and so they had bolstered together to save her.

It's subtle at first, but slowly they realize that Orihime is getting closer. Much closer, and she's coming fast.

They all come to a pause as the atmosphere becomes dense with the Spiritual Pressure of an Espada. Exchanged looks of apprehension and questioning before one of them speaks.

"Maybe they are going to let us have her?" Uryū ventures slowly. "After all, with Aizen defeated they can't possibly still have a use for her." He knows it's not going to be that easy, but he can't help but say it.

"Like anything is ever that easy." Renji mutters under his breath. The imminent arrival of the Espada will answer all their questions and each of them prepares for the encounter.

Ulquiorra shifts into sight standing well back from them, one arm wrapped lightly around Orihime, whom he slowly releases. He tucks his hand back into his pocket, and the Espada regards the group of friends with an empty, cold stare. Orihime on the other hand, smiles and her eyes widen when she sees her friends. She calls them all out by name and immediately prances over to hug Rukia, unable to suppress an excited giggle.

"I'm so glad you're all okay!" She speaks quickly, smiling brightly and looking over her friends as she holds Rukia's hands still.

"Orihime, we were so worried about you! What happened, did they kidnap you? When we learned you were gone we had decided to come save you when the unthinkable happened." Rukia proclaims softly, looking her friend over, relieved to see no sign of mistreatment. And while Rukia's attention is entirely devoted to Orihime, the men continue to wearily watch Ulquiorra.

"I remember you, Ulquiorra right? What was your part in all of this Espada?" Ichigo pulls Zangetsu from his back, the white cloth sheathing it spirals out as the blade is exposed. He remembered this Espada from their encounter in the park. He knew behind the cold green eyes that stared at them now, was a power that had been able to deflect Benehime's attack bare handed.

"Were you the one that kidnapped Orihime?" He demands the answer as his blade levels at the Espada.

Ulquiorra blinks slowly. It's the only acknowledgment of the question that he makes.

"Ichigo, stop it! I chose to come here. I did this of my own free will. He never forced me to do anything." Orihime reprimands quickly, releasing Rukia's hands to turn and look sternly at Ichigo. The orange haired man does a double take at Orihime, and slowly quiets himself. He's about to speak but Rukia cuts him off.

"But Orihime, why would you go to the enemy's side?" She's imploring, begging the answer for a question that had been eating them all alive since this whole mess had started.

"It's… It's complicated, well I mean it _was_ complicated but now everything just seems so simple! Nothing about it made sense at first but now I know… I belong here." Orihime starts to ramble, but catches herself quickly, finishing with the words she needs them to hear. The answer, while spoken by their friend, and sounding like her, doesn't make sense to any of them. Ulquiorra can see it on their faces, an utter lack of understanding for her motivations. It would truly be difficult for her to explain any of it to them.

"Orihime, listen to yourself. This is Hueco Mundo, these are Hollows. They devour the souls of living, dead, and Shinigami alike! You don't belong here anymore than the hollows belong in Karakura Town!" Rukia speaks quickly, searching her friends face as she looks away. Orihime turns her head as she feels her heart falling, they aren't going to understand, and she can't explain it. She remembers Nnoitra's last moments and all the joy begins to fade from her face.

"You don't understand… I know what I'm doing. I'm asking you to understand I have made my choice, even if I can't explain it." She tries again, speaking softer. Her eyes shooting back to Rukia and she begins to beg her friend with her gaze, begging her to understand. She might be the only one who could understand.

"You bastard, I don't know what you've done to Orihime, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let you have her!" Ichigo speaks impulsively. He slowly begins to move his sword out in front of him, but Uryū stops him with a hand on his arm.

"Don't blame him! It's true he may have brought me here, but he did so under Aizen's orders. Things have… changed, since then." She finishes softly her eyes dropping a moment to avoid the disbelieving stares of her friends.

"Changed? Orihime, please you must know this is crazy! These creatures will devour you the first chance they get!" Uryū voices himself quickly, the rising tensions leading him to the conclusion that they might have to fight to get her back. But this lone Espada had brought her here without any backup. He was powerful no doubt. This had to be the Cuatro, Quinto, or Septima Espada, and they all knew he would be a force to be reckoned with. Still, it would be foolish to come to a fight where he was outnumbered five to one without any assistance, unless he had genuinely wished to avoid a fight, or he truly believed they posed no threat to him.

"It's not like that Uryū, I am fine. I will be fine, this is my place now." With that Orihime steps back from them, taking several slow steps back to Ulquiorra as she speaks.

"Thank you all, you've looked after me for so long and I will always treasure our time together. I cannot be rescued because I am where I'm supposed to be." He voice is saddened, but sincere. Her face had fallen after she had tried to explain herself to her friends and it caused Rukia no small amount of heartache.

"Orihime…" Rukia speaks softly, disbelievingly. What had happened that could have possibly convinced Orihime that she belonged here?

Ulquiorra regards them with that passionless stare as he speaks.

"I will be taking her back to Las Noches now. I bear you no ill will Shinigami, and I will make no efforts to complicate any of your lives. I ask that you grant me the same courtesy, and that you… and your kind never step foot in Hueco Mundo without my express permission." Ulquiorra looks down as Orihime backs up to him, her own gaze turning to his briefly with a small, saddened smile. His hand lifts and he plants it gently on her shoulder.

"Like hell you are… Bankai!" Ichigo's blade extends at Ulquiorra, and the friends scatter from the primal disturbance his transformation causes. Ichigo knows he has only one chance. He has to hit the Espada with everything he has, and before the cloud of his transformation had even cleared his hand reaches claw-like below his chin, and he drags his hollow mask into existence. He has no idea what has taken hold of Orihime, but he couldn't just accept that she'd be willing to throw it all away. He'll take her home, and he'll find out the truth once she's safe and sound back in Karakura Town.

"No, Ichigo you fool!" Rukia cries out suddenly, reaching in vain to stop him. But it's too late. None of them have time to do anything. Ichigo's Bankai allows his speed to far outclass any of theirs, and Ulquiorra is even faster.

Ulquiorra's eyes narrow at the release and he whispers softly to Orihime.

"It is time pet, are you ready to accept me?" He speaks low in her ear, and it dawns on her then. She nods her head and lifts one hand, palm up before she speaks.

"Open, Sacred Lens… I _accept_." Ichigo is already rocketing forward when she says it. The deep red-tinged black of his reiatsu coats his blade as his distorted voice comes in a sort of growl. The friends can only watch in shock three points of Orihime's Shun-Shun Rikka leap forth, and begin flying in a tight circle in front of Orihime. Ulquiorra immediately lowers his finger towards the aperture, his Cero forming quickly. But when it forms, its energy begins to crackle, arcing from its center to the hovering points of Orihime's Shun-Shun Rikka. It forms a deep black and green vortex, the energy there rapidly reaching critical mass, before it bursts with a force that temporarily lights the night a gold tinged green.

Ichigo prepares to attack, readying his Getsuga Tenshō. He had intended to rush the Espada, and force him away from Orihime, before releasing his attack. But a sudden wave of apprehension comes over him when he sees Orihime use a technique he's never seen before. He barely has time to release it before the amplified Cero catches him. His Getsuga Tenshō has just left the arc of his swing when the Cero hits. It surrounds him, encompasses him, washing away his attack like it wasn't even there. He's thrown backward with a cry as his hollow mask disintegrates and his shihakushō is completely blown away. He streaks through the air, flying in a smoking trail over the desert of Hueco Mundo when the blast finally clears. Uryū leaps quickly to catch him before he falls to the desert, landing again just out of sight past one of the dunes.

Orihime can barely see it, so intense is the power washing through her now. She had finally understood what he had meant. And when he had commanded, she had opened herself to him, allowing her ability to focus the phenomenon, as opposed to rejecting it. It had enabled Ulquiorra's Cero to be magnified exponentially; as surely as her power could resist, or reject a phenomenon… It could also accept, or amplify one. But it also puts her deeply in tune with Ulquiorra's reiatsu. She suspects she may even be able to control the flow of it to some extent, but she finds it unnecessary. Ulquiorra examines his target, and releases just enough through her to wash away what little strength Ichigo had left. She realizes that this mercy is purely for her and her heart soars with the knowledge.

"Guard, Ama no Toride." Orihime speaks softly, the points of her Shun-Shun Rikka rearranging immediately. The fully released pentagram appears on the ground beneath them as she looks at her stunned friends. The violet tinged shell of her newest technique envelops Orihime and Ulquiorra, leaving no doubt of her intentions. She sighs softly and looks out on them apologetically.

"I'm sorry. I really am sorry I couldn't explain. Maybe someday, we can try again?" Orihime says hopefully, watching the faces of her friends. She knows that she could never truly attack any of them. If Ichigo had been at full strength, he and Ulquiorra may have been forced to engage in a long, brutal fight. But she had been lucky, as it was, Ulquiorra had been able to overpower him with a single, albeit amplified Cero.

She could still feel Ichigo's Spiritual Pressure, it was weak, but it was steady for now. She realized just how surgical the strike had been to leave him in such a state without killing him. Part of her wanted to rush to him, to heal him. But she knew that it was impossible, they had to understand what side of the line she was on now, and it broke her heart that they couldn't have just trusted her.

Ulquiorra steps forward then, passing through her shell without incident. He walks towards the group of friends who immediately tense, readying themselves for combat. But Ulquiorra stops, and lifts one hand he motions at the air, and it splits open as a Garganta forms on his command. He takes a step back, looking at the friends again.

"And you call yourselves her friends. I brought her here to say goodbye, and you can't even stop yourselves long enough to listen to her…" His voice dripping with scorn, his eyes, having narrowed just slightly as they regard her. The menace in his voice sends chills to the very bone.

"Orihime Inoue is now mine. As I have said, I will not seek to meddle in any of your affairs Shinigami and I ask that you extend the same courtesy. I do not do this for _you_, I do this for her." Ulquiorra stares them down as he speaks, impressed as they manage to look even more surprised than they had before he spoke, his words render them all utterly speechless.

"Now leave Hueco Mundo, and never return unless I have invited you." He turns his back on them, walking to Orihime, who looks at him with an undeniable adoration. As he approaches, his arm extends, and Orihime slips easily into his hold, resting her head against him lightly. Her eyes close, blissful for a moment, before opening to regard her friends sadly.

But Rukia finally starts to realize; it's not sadness because she's leaving them… It's sadness because she had been unable to explain _why_. This truly had been her choice, and no matter what had brought her here originally, this was where she wanted to be. Her heart aches for her friend then and she reaches out, calling to Orihime before Ulquiorra bears her away.

"Promise me! Promise me that someday, we'll try again!" She exclaims frantically, searching Orihime's face as she speaks. The girl smiles, that same brilliant smile they had been greeted with. That smile that only Orihime could give, and Rukia knows that whatever her reasons, it isn't their place to question her. As her friends, they can only support her.

And just like that… they're gone. Ulquiorra's sonido carries them off with frightening speed, and once again Orihime begins to fade into the background of Hueco Mundo.

"What just happened here?" Sado finally speaks up. Having had nothing he could think of to say previously. He and Orihime had been friends for a while, but never truly close. But upon hearing her declare, so lucidly, and without hesitation that she _belonged_ here, it had left him too stunned to speak. He and Ichigo were the only ones that had seen this Espada before. It had been some time ago, but he had claimed his name was Ulquiorra, and he was unable to fathom how Orihime could possibly believe she belonged here with him.

"Was she brainwashed? Was it some Hollow technique?" Renji asks slowly, unsure as he searches around slowly. Then they all seem to remember Ichigo at the same time. Rushing over to where Uryū had landed, they find Uryū kneeling over Ichigo, who's singed and unconscious. His Spiritual Pressure is fluctuating and they realize they don't have long to get him treatment.

"Let's get through that Garganta before he gets any worse." Uryū speaks quickly as Sado picks Ichigo up. They all make their way back to the portal that exits Hueco Mundo, with Renji hesitating as the others prepare to travel through.

"Rukia, shouldn't we stay? I mean we have to be able to find a way to convince her that she's making a mistake." He ventures slowly, looking deeply troubled by the thought of leaving Orihime behind.

"Renji… Orihime has made her choice. I don't believe that she is being forced in anyway, and I don't think we have the right to tell her what she wants to do with her life." The soft tone Rukia offers is as sympathetic as they come. She knows what she saw. That brief moment when Ulquiorra and Orihime had looked at each other… It was a look she had seen people share before. Could Orihime have possibly fallen in love? Even if she had, was he just using her for his own goals? Still, the Espada's words haunted her, he claimed he'd brought Orihime specifically to say goodbye, and then went on to say that his actions were for _her_.

Slowly, clearly still troubled by it, Renji sighs and starts to move. The friends pass through the Garganta and begin heading across glowing walkways of reiatsu towards the human world.

"We are going to have to report to the Soul Society, Renji. As soon as we return to the human world we should head back and tell them what we have learned here." Rukia speaks to Renji as they run side by side on parallel paths. He looks to her grimly and nods slowly, he knows that there will be hell to pay for disobeying orders, but this information undoubtedly outweighed the consequences for their actions.

"It seems that Espada has found a facet of Orihime's powers that everyone else had overlooked." Renji replies with an unusual air of thoughtfulness.

"From what I can tell he used very little of that combo's actual power. I shudder to think about the devastation if he were to use it at full power." Rukia glances to the unconscious Ichigo, the blast had been enough to drown his Getsuga Tenshō, and wipe away his remaining Spiritual Pressure. It was lucky the attack hadn't killed him. But then, maybe that had been intentional, was it possible Orihime's 'lens' enabled the Espada to focus his attack with that much precision? She shuddered at the thought.

"Or if he were to use it in a released state." Uryū says the words gravely, their weight causing a sudden and deep silence among the group. They had seen firsthand the power of a released Espada, and the thought of one with a magnifying glass for his attacks was truly terrifying.

They made the rest of the way in silence, emerging in Urahara's training room, beneath the shop. It only takes a short time after their arrival before Kisuke Urahara, and Tessai Tsukabishi come down to them.

"Well, you're back much sooner than expected…" Kisuke speaks dryly. His voice is light, but there's a note of concern beneath it. Tessai had already started to examine the injured Ichigo.

"Interesting, his reiatsu has been stripped away with a single blast. I'm not sure I've seen anything quite like this before." He remarks curiously, even as his hands form a cup over the wounded Ichigo, and he begins to work his healing kido to reinforce the boy's flagging reiatsu. He's able to instantly deduce what happened, despite having only a quick look.

"Orihime is… she's not coming back." Rukia says softly, not looking at Urahara as she speaks. She glances at Renji and speaks to him quickly.

"Come on, we have to get back to the Sereitei!" Urahara notes this darkly. He was probably the person most responsible for Orihime leaving in the first place. He had flat out told her that she would just be a liability in the fight. That she shouldn't train, because even if she had the power… she didn't possess the resolve to do her enemy serious harm. As Rukia and Renji sprint off he is left looking to Sado, and Uryū, who remain for now to watch over Ichigo. He knows he can't ask them any questions just yet. They looked like they still barely understood it themselves. But this entire turn of events was very troubling, what could it possibly mean in the long run?

If it was grave enough that these five came back without Orihime, then it was something that might very well end up affecting everyone. Whatever happened in Hueco Mundo, had left them shaken, and it hadn't taken long. They had come back not even a full day after leaving, and they had come back empty handed with Ichigo in a condition that was difficult to explain.

It seemed the boy's Spiritual Pressure had been stripped down to a bare minimum, just enough to let him hang on. He had told Ichigo he needed time to recuperate, but he had known that it was advice Ichigo couldn't take. Now, having sustained an injury like this, his soul was unlikely to keep hold of his flagging reiatsu for long. In fact, if he had to venture a guess, he figured that Ichigo probably only had a few hours left before his Soul Reaper powers would vanish completely.

Before the process could have taken weeks, or months depending on how much he'd exerted himself. But now, he had been stripped bare, and his soul simply wouldn't be able to replenish it.

Ichigo had made many sacrifices, for his friends, his family, for complete strangers, and for anyone that had needed a helping hand. It was sad that such a man would no longer be able to protect as he once had. Urahara, after feeling assured the boy was in no real danger left the capable Tessai to finish his work, calling Uryū and Sado after him to let Tessai work in peace.

Once they are back in the shop, Urahara turns to the pair and starts to probe lightly.

"Is there anything you can tell me about what happened, anything that might prove useful in figuring this out?" He looks them over, watching as they share an uneasy glance.

"Mr. Kisuke, we aren't really sure what happened, but it seems that Orihime is whole-heartedly serving one of the Espada now. And what's more, is he seems to have developed a way to channel his reiatsu through Orihime." Uryū speaks in a slow, contemplative voice. Analytical as always, it was something that Kisuke had learned to appreciate about the lad.

"Oh? I had always wondered if her power might be able to be used in that fashion." He nodded slowly then added gravely. "If this Espada has indeed found a way to do this, then we may have a very serious problem indeed." Though Uryū and Sado look surprised to hear Urahara claim a suspicion about this hidden technique, they let it pass quietly.

"It's not that simple, the Espada we encountered said that he was keeping Orihime there, but he had no intention of meddling with the Shinigami, he also said that he expected the same courtesy." Sado spoke up, looking back to Uryū, uncertainty still clouding their features. It's this revelation that causes Urahara's brows to lift in genuine intrigue.

"Now that IS interesting!" He remarks slowly, the with a slow final nod to Sado and Uryū he smiles, instantly losing all traces of seriousness as he extends his fan to cover his face.

"Well, no sense in worrying about it now. I'm sure you boys have a lot of work to do now that the war is over!" He moves to sit comfortably near his table before for a moment his serious expression returns.

"You should know, I have little doubt Ichigo will be completely stripped of his Soul Reaper powers before morning. Once this happens he will no longer be able to sense Spiritual Pressure." He speaks sincerely as he waits for the gravity of his words to sink in. It's Uryū who catches on first.

"He'll never get to say goodbye to them then." He shakes his head sadly, looking down remorsefully. If only Ichigo hadn't been so damned impulsive, they could have just walked away without a fight and found a different way to reach Orihime. Kurosaki would never learn… That much was certain.

They share a somber moment, reflecting quietly before Uryū and Sado announce their departure. They speak briefly about what happened, as they head home, then each head their separate ways.

Those fateful moments in Hueco Mundo, will be the last time the friends are together in one place for a long, long time.

||/\/\/W\/\/\||


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7, warning, there will be lemons here. Really, looking back on it now, this entire story is a prologue of sorts, and it was fun to write. I hope you all enjoy the newest chapter, and as always your reviews/comments are appreciated. _

_***Spoiler Alert***_

_William Turner takes control of the Flying Dutchman_

Chapter 7 – Blood, Milk, and Sky

When they had returned to Las Noches, Orihime had politely requested to return to Ulquiorra's chambers while he went to check up on the Espada that still remained. The ride with him had been disorienting to say the least but after she had become accustomed to it, she had simply enjoyed being close to him during that time. She stripped and stepped into the shower slowly, more than prepared to wash recent events from her skin. The hot flow of water rolls over her in powerful, soothing streams and as she begins to bathe, her mind wanders.

She had hoped her friends would be able to understand, and at first it she had thought maybe they would; then Ulquiorra had made his claim, and they had been prepared to leave... But Ichigo hadn't been able to accept it and had leapt before he looked. As a result Ulquiorra had decided to use a new technique to stop the fight before anyone else could get seriously hurt. She had to be thankful to him for that, she knew that he would just as easily have killed them. If Orihime hadn't been there, things probably would have gone much differently.

But at the last second, Rukia had called out to her, and Orihime knew, at least one of them understood. She had been so incredibly happy to hear it, and she knew someday she would be able to explain what was happening to Rukia.

Orihime had been oddly comfortable returning here, the desert of Hueco Mundo was as dark and desolate a place as there ever could be; But Inside the walls of Las Noches, it was actually starting to feel like home. Even the once foreign and slightly disturbing reiatsu of Hollows was starting to feel less threatening. But she knew exactly why that was, it was because of _his._

The feel of hot water splashing on her skin, running in steady rivulets down her body was comforting, distracting. The thoughts of Ulquiorra and the changes he had started to show were prevalent in her mind. She couldn't be sure what had driven him to do the things he had done. In truth she found it all perplexing. He hadn't seemed the sort that would jump so quickly at this opportunity. He seemed much more subtle than that. But still, she knew that it was a chance that might never come around again.

But those weren't the changes that had begun to weigh heavily on her. It was his changes towards her that had really grabbed her attention. The way he had started referring to her; she was _his_, like he owned her. The thought brings a soft sigh from her, and she becomes painfully aware of her own hands, moving to soap and then rinse her various bits. She has to wonder if his hands would feel the same on her skin. It's such a decadent and dirty thought that it makes her shiver, a delightful sensation that rolls down her spine, and causes a soft sound of pleasure to escape her parted lips.

She feels a liquid heat inside her, and she tries to ignore it, tries to think of anything but the sensation that seems to be tingling in her loins. Slowly she turns off the water and steps from the bare shower grabbing two of several towels that had been tucked onto simple shelves near the door. She's not really sure whose duty it is to keep her supplied with fresh linens, but she resolves to find them, and thank them for a job well done. Drying her hair, and wrapping it in one towel, she dries her body, and wraps herself in the second.

She stepped out into the cool air, closing her eyes a moment, enjoying how it felt on her skin. It was refreshing, but it did nothing to diminish the heat she still felt inside her. It wasn't something that she was completely foreign to, she had felt it before a few times, and even once dared to touch herself as a result. The thought brings a bright blush to her cheeks just as she opens her eyes, and with the barest glance heads along the wall towards the closet. She's just reached the closet, opening the door when she freezes.

"Not again!" she squeaks. A sudden apprehension slips over her and she turns her head slowly back towards the room.

Ulquiorra was reclining lightly on the edge of the bed, with Loly and Menoly knelt on the floor a few feet in front of him. They had apparently been finishing a discussion when Orihime; lost in her own little world, had wandered out. Now, Loly and Menoly openly gape at the voluptuous human woman, who is blushing from head to toe. The towel wrapped intimately about her still damp form, it clings to her breasts, and to the curve of her hips, in some places formed to her like a plush second skin. Ulquiorra however, though his eyes have widened slightly, shows no other signs of reaction. He turns to regard Loly and Menoly coolly, before he speaks.

"That is enough for now, you're dismissed." He looks at them for a moment as they both continue to stare at Orihime. It's Loly who first looks back to him, nods, then goes right back to staring at Orihime. Even though she seems to be acknowledging his command, Ulquiorra can't help but notice that she hasn't actually _done_ anything yet. He's about to speak again when Loly's eyes shoot back to Ulquiorra and she flushes hotly. She grabs Menoly and yanks her to her feet. As the two girls retreat, they cast a few awkward glances back, while the door slides closed behind them.

Orihime, during this momentary exchange had remained frozen; it felt like a bad dream. Like the ones where you walk out to get the mail but accidently forget to put on any clothes. She hadn't even sensed their reiatsu. She'd been so absorbed in her thoughts that she had managed to walk out in front of all of them, and now she was left staring, mortified at Ulquiorra as he sat there, watching her with a sort of detached interest. She curses herself for daydreaming then, noting that, in Hueco Mundo, things were entirely too likely to sneak up on her when she was distracted.

"Come here." He says it softly, but she knows it leaves no room for argument and she swallows hard. It's difficult to force her feet to move, but slowly she makes her way towards him. He stands up as she approaches and she can see once she gets closer… there _is_ something in his eyes. It's something that makes her breath catch in her throat, and her step falter as she approaches. That cold stare is devouring her.

One hand lifts from his pocket, and moves slowly up. As he examines the towel in her hair he flipped it down, and then slowly took it from her damp mane. He discards this towel casually, watching it fall before he lifts his hand again. His fingers lightly graze across the material covering her breasts and his eyes look into hers.

She's breathing erratically, terrified and completely unable to voice the fact. Her heart is pounding in her chest and despite that fear, the honeyed glow in her loins has returned. He takes a hold of the towel, and simply rips it from her form, bringing a soft cry to her lips. She's blushed crimson and her eyes slam shut as her hands meekly rise in an almost comical attempt to cover her charms.

His hand intercepts her wrist; the wrist he'd branded in his hold not so long ago, and her eyes fly open. It brings a sound to her lips, and her eyes glaze over slightly. Slowly her other hand drops.

The whole time his eyes remain locked on hers, burning her with their intensity. She wants to look away, but realizes that she doesn't want to look anywhere else.

When his other hand rises with measured slowness, it cups her cheek, sliding down the delicate column of her throat. His thumb trailing lightly up over her chin to slide briefly over her lips before his hand continues downward.

She's holding her breath, as his hand dips lower, and just… grasps the firm flesh of her breast. His fingers curling around that warm orb slowly. When she makes a softly strangled noise, his eyes lift to regard her curiously again. She can't look at him, and closes her eyes in shame, the heat in her having blossomed into a living thing that was now coiling in her belly. She doesn't keep her eyes closed long though, as his fingers find their way to the tip of her breast, and he grasps her nipple experimentally. He begins to tug and twist gently on that tender flesh as her eyes fly open and she lets out a cry.

"U-Ulquiorra… Master, please!" She implores, before she realizes she has no idea what she's asking for. All through this, his emotionless expression never changes.

He holds her firmly, noting with no small amount of pleasure that certain touches seem to make her want to crawl out of her skin. She has such delightfully responsive flesh, and as his fingers torment that hardened nub on her breast she can't help but beg him. A tiny smile graces his lips as he leans in, close to her ear and whispers.

"You don't even know what you want pet." He states it matter-of-factly, giving a sharp tug on her nipple as he does. She lets out another cry and he can see her start to shiver in the cool air. But she's not cold, he can feel the heat radiating off her, even with the space between them. He lifts his other hand from her wrist, and slowly takes a hold of her damp hair. His fingers curl tightly through it at the same time that other hand drops from her breast, and begins to trail slowly down her stomach. Her breath hitches and her eyes frantically search his. She wants to speak. She wants to tell him to stop, or to beg him to let her go, her mind desperately pleading with her body to do _something._ But she can't move. The light trail over her stomach makes her tummy flutter maddeningly before his fingers had found their way through the neatly trimmed tuft above her bare sex.

He can see the panic in her eyes. He's crossing a bridge that no one had ever taken with her. He wondered briefly if it would ease her to know that they would be walking that bridge together; then, decided it didn't really matter. It was already too late to stop it. His passion had peaked on top of his interest and now he would have her. If she wished to teach him what it meant to love as a human, she had to have known this would be a part of it.

As his fingers deftly slip to touch her sex the first time he's amazed at how… humid it is.

"What is this?" He remarks softly, his eyes drifting down as his digits begin to explore that now flowering slit. He had known what he was looking for, but the molten core of her surprised him nonetheless. When he slips a finger inside of her, she winces then moans. He can feel that warmth convulsing lightly on him. The deeper he goes, the more that liquid heat seems to grow. He's casually exploring her, like he might examine any object of interest, until her hands fly up and she clutches at his jacket. The second digit that slithers in only brings more urgent, heated cries from her lips.

He locates an unusually swollen nubbin at the top of her slit, and after some preliminary examination, begins to use this thumb to manipulate it while those fingers delve deep in her heat. Her eyes go wide in surprise and he can feel her convulse inside. As that delicate musculature starts fluttering around his now fully embedded digits, he marvels at how extreme the sensation seems to be for her. Her eyes clamp shut and she looks like she's in pain. She sucks in her breath, holding it a moment before it comes out in a series of high pitched moans. He pulls his fingers back, fascinated by how saturated this little orifice had become. He looks at her; she's about to fall, and this time he steps back a bit, allowing her to sink to her knees.

She's still panting, her legs bent at the knees with her backside on the ground and her feet awkwardly out beside her. Her thighs are still spread as he takes a hold of her hair, and drags her onto all fours, then, smoothly guides her face down to the cool floor. It brings a soft whimper to her lips, leaving her in a horribly exposed position and almost immediately, he begins to explore her flesh again. She feels two fingers inside her, as his thumb begins to lightly probe the tightly sealed star that's now exposed to him. She claws helplessly at the ground as the sensations drive her positively mad, mortified by the fact that she can't even form the word 'no'.

The sight of her like that has caused Ulquiorra's passion to swell to an undeniable peak. He reached down, having to free himself from confines that were now entirely too restrictive. She seems unable, or unwilling to crawl away from him, even though the sounds she makes suggest a desire to flee. He finds, as his fingers carry that slick heat from her slit, he's able to press it into the ring above, slowly working half his thumb into her there while two fingers are curled deeply inside her more traditional heat.

He knows what he has to do, what the biology requires of him, but he's completely unprepared for the reality of it.

Orihime is kneeling, drenched in passion and panting in her desire. It's a pure and primal thing, even while his exploration of her is almost as detached as anything else he does. But it's left her reeling, unable to think beyond what she can feel. And she feels everything he's doing to her, causing her to dance for his amusement. She feels like she's drugged, her limbs are heavy and it's almost impossible to resist the sensation of his fingers on her, _in_ her. Every stroke brings her honey bubbling to the contact, and she's sure now that nothing was ever meant to feel so wrong and so right at the same time. Even the casual exploration of an even more taboo area can't stop the incoming tide he's created.

When she feels his fingers leave her sex, it's met with a cry of loss, and relief. When she feels another pressure spreading her most intimate folds she realizes that it isn't his fingers and she's about to protest when that flesh fills her utterly. The sudden thrust into her brings with it a pained cry, and a helpless jerk of her hips. He's poised, crouching over her, having stripped open his hakama just enough to mount her. The forceful first thrust is as graceless, as it is possessive, but she's far too saturated for it to make much of a difference to her. She begins to moan out wantonly as his hips start to hesitantly roll into her. She clenches involuntarily around him and is rewarded with a low passionate groan from his lips. She longs to see him making that noise, and finds herself settling into a deep, steady rhythm with him.

It's already more than he can bear. The feel of her hot, slick channel enveloping him makes his teeth clench. It brings animalistic grunts from his lips as he clutches her about the waist and feeds her every inch of his desire. He recognizes it for what it is, a quick, and frantic rut meant to fill a need that had been lingering too long inside them. He realizes that she's looking back at him, the deep brown of her eyes locked intently on him even as her lips are parted, panting and moaning through their motions.

He meets her gaze, and allows it to drive him harder, finding the noises she makes intoxicating. Slowly, he moves one hand, fingers splaying at the small of her back as his thumb forcefully re-enters her neglected star. He's unable to hide the satisfaction in his gaze when she tosses her head back and groans out a mixture of pleasure and pain. The heat wells up, flaring white hot now at the tip he's so greedily buried inside her. He grunts in pleasure, realizing that he doesn't have long before the inevitable comes, and decides to pour himself into her. The thrust of his hips only spurs her to greater heights as he feels those telltale flutters inside her, then she goes rigid again.

The softly milking pleasure of her heat is more than he can take, and with a single hoarse cry he lunges into her, even as her moans and whimpers continue he can only grunt mutely as he twitches and bucks instinctively against her. It's incredibly compromising, leaving him in a weakened state that would surely be his undoing… but he couldn't care less as he spills that wicked seed deep towards her womb.

At that moment the only thing that matters is her. She's collapsed under him, having fallen with her breasts crushed to the floor with her cheek pressed flat. Her arms are bent at the elbows, palms flat on the floor, as if she'd tried to raise herself and failed. Little pulses continue to assail each of them for some time before he slides back from her suddenly.

She cries out in protest at the loss, feeling like she'll just fall over when his hand seizes her hair again. He forces her to her feet, making her rise up, again protesting with a sharp, short cry, until his lips meet hers. That touch immediately silences all but her softest whimpers and she curls herself tightly against him. His hakama partially undone to lewdly expose his length, his jacket has fallen open, allowing her hands to slip against the hard lines of his chest. With her head tilted to the kiss she takes all he has to offer her, and then quickly comes back for more.

He's about to pull back, when her hands clench in his jacket and she urges him closer, pulling him with her onto the bed as she falls back. He moves over her as they share that slow, sensual kiss, their tongues avidly exploring each other's mouths. Her hands move up to his head, combing through that surprisingly silky, deep black hair. She lets her fingers run over the smooth bone, the half-helmet and horn that covered half his head; all that remained from his hollow form. She drank in every inch of him that she could until they had to break the kiss, each panting softly against the other's lips.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra." Orihime coos softly, looking up into his eyes, those cool green orbs looking down to her with something she doesn't quite recognize. He's looking into her then, while her physical charms were candy for the eyes… he hadn't been able to resist finding her gaze. He had never experienced anything quite like what was happening with this human woman. He had never even considered dreaming about such a series of events.

Slowly he rolls to one side of her, and allows her to curl up next to him, partially draped over his body. The bed he'd never used was exceedingly comfortable, and with her there it seemed incredibly warm and comforting. Far more so than he'd ever found anywhere else. He knew this was pleasure, and it was profound. But it was something much more compromising than that, and he recognized this too immediately.

_This woman is going to be the death of me. _ The thought rolls through his mind with absolutely certainty, and a disturbing lack of concern. He's smiling, a bit wider than ever before, though it quickly fades to the normal tight lipped smirk that occasionally lights his face. It's as close as Ulquiorra will ever come to grinning.

They exist together like that for a time, before the door to his chambers slides open rather unexpectedly. Orihime tenses visibly, about to yank the sheets over her body, when Ulquiorra's arm squeezes her slightly, the deep green of his eyes shooting down to her. His message is clear and she flushes deeply, burying her face against him as the presence enters.

Tier Harribel enters with her arms folded lightly in front of her, her Zanpakuto leveled horizontally, sheathed near the small of her back. When she enters the room and spies the recently engaged couple she lofts one of her eyebrows at the spectacle. The human woman, her face hidden in embarrassment, is completely bare. She's sprawled across Ulquiorra who was only partially bared, in an obscene way. Tier nods once slightly then walks into the room. She begins speaking as if nothing unusual is happening, looking to Ulquiorra as he begins to slide from Orihime's hold.

"Loly and Menoly have been able to track Nelliel, and I believe they will have her back here within the next two days. I also think we can repair the damage done to her, but I think that Orihime may be crucial to our success." Tier speaks slowly, watching as Ulquiorra moves from the bed, and carefully tosses one corner of the sheet to Orihime, allowing her the modesty she so craves. Though they can't see it, Tier is smiling beneath her mask, a little gleam in her eyes as it becomes clear just how much of a change this woman has had on the Cuatro Espada.

"I also came to that conclusion. In fact, I believe that Orihime may be able to help us quite a bit in the trials ahead."

Ulquiorra fixes himself, after giving Orihime what she desires, moving past Tier into the bathroom, as he speaks. He disappears without another word and the sounds of him washing himself can be heard from inside.

Orihime can only marvel at how relaxed they both seem despite this embarrassing situation. They show no concern for modesty, and seem completely unfazed by this entire series of events. Slowly, with the sheet around herself she watches Ulquiorra then turns her eyes to Tier as he moves into the bathroom. Tier's eyes wash appreciatively over Orihime, in a way that makes her hold her breath.

"You shouldn't be embarrassed. You're absolutely beautiful." The words are simple and clear, and they bring a heated blush to Orihime's cheeks. Tier's eyes flashing a moment before she looks back towards the bathroom and calls out.

"So, you have seen a future for us Ulquiorra… I have been dying to know, what do you see?" Harribel watches intently as he emerges, her eyes searching him. She's surprised he can remain so incredibly detached, even after being intimate with that woman only moments before.

"We have no meaning. We never have. If you think about it, this is a place where crazed souls come to feed on one another." He moves to stand in front of Harribel, his jacket still undone as his hands tuck lazily into his pockets.

"I suspect that once, the Soul Society was much the same. Feral and untamed, and they too had no purpose. At some point, long ago they gave themselves purpose, and now guard over the human world." He cocks his head slightly, before turning his eyes slowly to Orihime.

"This woman has taught me how… necessary it can be to have purpose. We all joined together beneath Aizen. We did it because of his power, to repay him for making us what we are, and because of his charisma. But I suspect that wasn't all." He slowly turns his head back to Tier and regards her with those cold, soulless eyes.

"I think the real reason, was because we envied it. That purpose. It was something that none of us ever really had." He slows as Harribel nods slightly her eyes searching for their answers still.

"Then, you believe that you can give us purpose?" Tier asks slowly, her arms folded just below her impressive bosom as she speaks.

"We have always had one. We just never chose to embrace it as the Shinigami had." He states simply, turning from Harribel, and walking slowly over to the bed where Orihime continues to watch quietly.

"What do you mean Ulquiorra?" Tier demands, her voice still calm and light, but her desire to know is unmistakable.

"We will take control of the hollows, as surely as the Sereitei took control of their souls, so shall we." He pauses briefly before he continues. "The Soul Reapers start as ordinary souls, before they are able to contact, and materialize their Zanpakuto. The same must be true of hollows, only instead of manifesting a Zanpakuto from their bare soul… their hollow powers will be sealed into a Zanpakuto, revealing the true soul beneath." He speaks it simply, as if it's the most reasonable thing in the world.

At this, Tier's eyes narrow, a dangerous look taking hold of her.

"You mean to make us like _them_?" she practically hisses the words at him.

His eyes lock on her, with a sudden severity that almost makes her flinch.

"We will _never _be like them. But so long as we are just chaotic beasts, we could never hope to outmatch them. If they decided to come here in force… right now, they would likely slay us all." He states the words coldly, staring Tier down as he speaks again.

"Hueco Mundo is a place that Shinigami of any caliber should dread."

Tier listens, and her gaze softens somewhat before she glances at Orihime.

"And what does your pet think about that, living in a place that the Shinigami dread?" she says it with an air of amusement, almost daring Orihime to say something against it. But she's amazed when Orihime meets her gaze solidly.

"I'm proud. This is my home now, and I'm proud to be a part of it Harribel." She declares without hesitation, and Tier looks back into Ulquiorra's cold stare. She's taken aback then… she had known Ulquiorra for some time. She had always respected the incredible power he wielded with such detached precision. But she had never seen this look in his eyes before. It was a raw determination and she knew then that if she happened to be in his way, then they would finally find out who was the stronger. And she had a sinking suspicion he had been hiding a large portion of his power, for a long time.

"Very well Ulquiorra. I will trust you for now, but do not forget I will be watching what you do very carefully." Tier looks at him for a moment longer, the future he'd been proposing would change everything.

"I would expect nothing less. Keep your eyes on everything around you Harribel, this is our time… watch it carefully." Ulquiorra looks down to Orihime, a certain, distant fondness in his eyes. The look brings a smile to Orihime's lips and she moves up onto her knees as she watches him, still clutching the silken sheet around her bare form.

Tier watches this innocent exchange with a certain longing in her, suddenly missing her Fracción terribly. She bows slightly in respect, and turns, walking from the room without another glance back.

There's a silence, as Ulquiorra slowly moves from the bed and goes to look out the window, gazing contemplatively out into Hueco Mundo's night. Orihime looks after him then slowly slips from the bed. She finds herself a quick shower, this time bringing her dress with her into the bathroom, emerging fully prepared to greet the world. When she looks, she finds him in the exact same place he was when she left, making her way over to stand quietly behind him.

She can almost feel him thinking, thoughts churning languidly in his mind, but he doesn't seem to be in any turmoil. The flow of his reiatsu is calm and even, probably more so than she'd ever seen it before. She realizes then that she doesn't have to say anything to him, that he doesn't need comfort, or consolation and a small smile forms on her lips before she touches his arm and speaks in a bright voice.

"Ulquiorra, who is responsible for bringing me fresh clothing?"

||/\/\/W\/\/\||

_This is the official end of the story. But, unofficially speaking it's going to continue. Whenever I read a book, I always read the last page first. And in much the same way, I already know the final scene in this series of events, and I haven't even come close to reaching it yet. _

_I realized I made an error, about Chad being the only one to recognize Ulquiorra, and have updated it. There have been several little updates across the whole story that I thought, made it flow a little better. _

_This is the last chapter of this story but the tale must continue. If you are interested in seeing what Ulquiorra will do, and just how Hueco Mundo may change under his influence show your support in PM or review. If there is a strong enough interest I'll post it, and if not, I'll send those interested a copy (There will be much more in the development of Ulquiorra and Orihime's relationship… likely in graphic detail). Thank you all for your support thus far, and I hope those of you that stuck with it, enjoyed the concept!_

_Also, the name of Orihime's technique, the "sacred lens" I would love to sit with someone that actually speaks japanese to come up with a better alternative (preferably in japanese!) So again, if anyone out there reading this is willing to help name a technique or two... send me a PM, and If it's good I'll update the story with a personalized thanks and the new name! _


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